Overcoming Adversity

SgtMaj Raymond Mackey 29 Years, 2 Legs, & Still Leading

WOTN Editor — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:01:00 +0430

Story by Lance Cpl. Chelsea Flowers, CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - Sgt. Maj. Raymond Mackey has been in the Marine Corps for 29 years but will be the first to tell you he can still hang with even the youngest Marines on the basketball court. As he quickly maneuvers his wheelchair by other players to get open for a pass, puts up shots in the key and shouts directions to others on his team, it is easy to see that Mackey is a natural-born leader – as an athlete, a Marine and a Wounded Warrior. For the past two years, Mackey...

LCpl Crump Competes for Archery in Wounded Warrior Games

WOTN Editor — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:13:00 +0430

by Cpl. Lucas Vega CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - At the archery range for the 2012 Marine Corps Trials, Lance Cpl. Christopher Crump straddles the firing line on a leg that once shattered, finds his natural respiratory pause with lungs that were once collapsed, sights in on his bow with an eye that was once dangling from its socket, and speaks and writes words that he could not temporarily say and scribe, due the tragic event of Aug. 16, 2011. Crump, a field wireman with Headquarters and Service Company, 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, had recently returned from a deployment in...

100 miles for Wounded Warriors

MsMarti - — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 20:40:00 +0430

Written by By Army Staff Sgt. Catrina Dorsey RC-East PAO With two prosthetic knees, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jack Ursey, from Martin, Tenn., walks 100-miles for the Wounded Warriors Project, here, over the course of two and half days. (Photo by Army Staff Sgt. Catrina D. Dorsey, 7th MPAD) BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Sitting in his office on a make-shift bed, he has a smile on his face that would reach around the world. U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jack Ursey completed his third 100-mile walk-a-thon in support of the Wounded Warrior Project, Oct. 29-31. Ursey, from Martin, Tenn., chief of...

SPC Morrison; Wounded Warrior Institutes Purple Heart Hunting

WOTN Editor — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 20:46:06 +0430

By Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Dec. 23, 2011 - This weekend, when Army Spc. Dustin Morrison gathers with his family to celebrate the holidays, he said he knows he'll be experiencing a Christmas miracle. Iowa Army National Guard Spc. Dustin Morrison, right, pictured here with longtime friend and hunting buddy Ethan Hess, has set his sights on establishing a nonprofit hunting organization for wounded warriors. Morrison continues his own recovery from life-threatening combat injuries he'd received in Afghanistan. Courtesy photo The 21-year-old Iowa Army National Guard soldier discovered a new appreciation for what matters most in life...

Amputee sky dives with his MWD

MsMarti - — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 21:12:22 +0430

Never say never! "I am still rocking! For those who haven’t heard, I was blown up, with my MWD, Axe, Feb 17th of this year. I lost both of my feet, and was back to work in July." Watch this Army veteran (who is still active duty by the way) make a tandem jump with his military working dog. All I can say is WOW!!!!! Thanks Brandon for spreading the word!

SGT Dulashanti Gives a Leg in Afghanistan; Earns Black Hat

WOTN Editor — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 05:55:53 +0430

Face of Defense: Amputee Earns 'Sergeant, Airborne' Title By Cheryl Rodewig, 1st Infantry Division FORT BENNING, Ga., Sept. 13, 2011 - Like thousands before him, Army Sgt. Joel Dulashanti donned an Airborne instructor black hat for the first time last month, signifying his completion of a detailed certification process with 1st Battalion, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Army Sgt. Joel Dulashanti reaches for a harness strap during training on Eubanks Field at Fort Benning, Ga., in August 2011. U.S. Army photo by Cheryl Rodewig Unlike those before him, he met the standard with a prosthetic leg, a partial knee replacement and...

Sgt Ramirez Leaves Hand in Iraq, Gives Hand in Afghanistan

WOTN Editor — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 17:52:17 +0430

Back to work: hand amputee deploys to set example for wounded warriors by Cpl. Benjamin Crilly RCT-8 PATROL BASE FIRES, Helmand province, Afghanistan - “The word came out that noncommissioned officers were needed as combat replacements,” said combat replacement for 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Sgt. Ricardo Ramirez. “Guys with experience who wanted to help out our brothers in Sangin.” Ramirez, a veteran of Iraq, fit the description, answered the call and volunteered to deploy to Afghanistan. His previous combat experience shows right off the bat, and is one of the first things people notice about the warrior. He only...

Cpl Todd Nicely Drives Forward after Losing both of his arms and legs

MsMarti - — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 01:30:00 +0430

Twenty-seven year old Marine Cpl Todd Nicely has again learned how to drive and passed his road test at the DMV with flying colors. To most of us that is not particularly noteworthy. However, Cpl Nicely is an amputee. Last year, Cpl Nicely was in Afghanistan, leading a patrol, when he received severe wounds from an IED. As a result he lost both arms and both legs. "For most people driving is seen as their symbol of independence, " said Occupational Therapist Pat Niewoehner. With the help from some very specialized equipment, Todd was able to re-train and is now...

Prosthesis helps Medal of Honor hero stay with Rangers

MsMarti - — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 02:49:49 +0430

By C. Todd Lopez WASHINGTON (Army News Service, July 12, 2011) -- "There was a little bit of a meat skirt, for lack of better words, hanging around the edges. It was oozing. I could see the radius and ulna bone sticking up maybe about half an inch." Petry re-enlists: Then-Staff Sgt. Leroy Petry re-enlists with the Rangers during a ceremony in May 2010 at Fort Lewis, Wash. Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Petry, who will have the Medal of Honor placed around his neck July 12, 2011, by the president of the United States, recounted the moment after his hand...

Someone Like Me by John W. Quinn

MsMarti - — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 18:40:00 +0430

John Quinn takes us on his life journey. A journey that is complicated by his cerebral palsy. In a well-written, intense book we follow John as he overcomes obstacle after obstacle to succeed in life as an independent person. When he decides to join the military, he was told "Uncle Sam can't use someone like you." Did that stop John? You see, the Navy didn't know that John had cerebral palsy. They only knew he couldn't pass one portion of the physical. A pivotal comment from his friend Phil was all it took to spur John on. "Funny," Phil said....

Exit Wounds by Derek McGinnis

MsMarti - — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 21:04:38 +0430

"A Survival Guide to pain management for returning veterans and their families" "For wounded veterans, overcoming pain is the final battle: hand-to-hand combat with an adversary we were never trained to fight. Pain can be an elusive, stubborn, and sadistic enemy. If you or a loved one has battled chronic pain, you already know this firsthand. I do, too." Exit Wounds is a straight-forward easy to read book that will help you to become more knowledgeable about pain management, it talks about becoming an advocate for yourself or someone else who is in pain, and much more! Derek McGinnis was...

Cpl Peck's Homecoming

MsMarti - — Fri, 20 May 2011 17:30:00 +0430

“I didn’t think this many people cared!” Wounded not once, but twice in two different wars, Marine Cpl John Peck came home last week to Antioch, IL and found that his country does indeed care! Cpl Peck was escorted home by the Antioch police and fire departments. Photo: LCpl John Peck Estimates say that nearly 2,000 people lined the streets of the route to Peck’s home. Flags were waving and the sound of people clapping could be heard as Peck was escorted home for his first visit since losing both legs and an arm in Afghanistan. He battled severe infection...

Sight & Legs Won't Hinder Marine Chuck Sketch's Motivation

WOTN Editor — Sun, 15 May 2011 20:32:41 +0430

Blind Marine competes in Warrior Games with the help of his family by Aquita Brown MCMWWP The Warrior Games is an annual athletic competition that allows the Wounded Warrior Regiment’s wounded, ill and injured Marines to strengthen their mind, body and spirit. Athletes from all branches of service have an opportunity to compete, fine tune their skills and build camaraderie. However, for Marine veteran Chuck Sketch it means much more than that. Chuck has the opportunity to share this experience with his fellow Marines and his father, Roger Sketch. In February 1991, Chuck joined the United States Marine Corps because,...

Recon: Conquering the Climb

MsMarti - — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 17:45:00 +0430

Ten wounded warriors; nineteen days in the Himalayas; one great adventure: a story of facing challenges and overcoming adversity. This video is long (27:34), but well worth the time spent as you listen to these warriors talk about overcoming their own adversity and life choices they have made.

Cpl Aaron Mankin

MsMarti - — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 01:32:48 +0430

This is an introduction video I (jucph) made for Marine Corporal Aaron Mankin. Cpl Mankin was badly wounded when engaging in Operation Matador in eastern Iraq. Cpl Mankin spoke at The Summit Business Persons' Luncheon at The Church at Pinnacle Hills on November 8, 2007. Special thanks to Cpl Mankin for his selfless service to his fellow Americans.

Martial Arts Leads to Healing for Wounded Warrior

WOTN Editor — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 00:23:38 +0430

Wounded Warrior Inspired by New Sport Arash Arabasadi VoA News Washington, D.C: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is not your typical martial art. It combines wrestling and joint manipulation, and those who practice it say technique trumps size. But Tyler Anderson is not your typical martial artist either. For the U.S. Army Staff Sergeant, learning this new skill is just one of his life’s many challenges. When Anderson took up Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, he found things were a little different from his previous wrestling experience. "When I first started doing Jiu Jitsu without a leg, the first thing that I noticed was...

MP Gives an Arm and Keeps on Fighting

WOTN Editor — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 23:59:00 +0430

MP fights adversity, fulfills Army commitment by Sgt. Jes Smith 16th MPAD KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – When faced with adversity, many people are asked if they are going to look at their glass as half-full or half-empty. The question is designed to determine if a person will look for the positives in a situation or the negatives. Spc. Ben C. Ballard is a glass-half-full kind of guy. Ballard is a military police specialist in the 202nd Military Police Company, based out of Fort Bliss, Texas. The company is assigned to the 504th Military Police Battalion, and they train Afghan Police forces...

SURFING U.S.A.

MsMarti - — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 01:16:00 +0430

Wednesday, December 22, 2010 By Sgt. Randall A. Clinton LONG BEACH, N.Y. — Tara Hutchinson smiled more than you’d expect for someone who could barely stand on a surfboard. She had wiped out more times than anyone else in the water, and yet she paddled back out for another go. The retired Army sergeant first class has spent the last four years undergoing countless surgeries after losing her leg in Iraq, and without that second limb to steady herself she was not having much luck staying on the board. Hutchinson’s surf lesson was part of a week-long program for wounded...

Breathless: Marine Still Earned Title

MsMarti - — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 19:04:00 +0430

Breathless: Marine medically discharged after lung collapses in boot camp returns to earn the title 11/30/2010 By Lance Cpl. Jad Sleiman, Marine Forces Reserve NEW ORLEANS-Newly minted Pfc. Matt McGuiness holds the battalion guidon during his recruit training graduation ceremony Jan. 15. Tom McGuiness NEW ORLEANS — Lance Cpl. Matt McGuiness’ lowest point wasn’t the day his left lung sprung a leak and deflated inside his chest as he waited outside a chow hall during recruit training. It wasn’t the day he watched his platoon graduate without him as he waited on an evaluation board that would eventually medically discharge...

USSF: persistent and committed

MsMarti - — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:25:00 +0430

Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Afghanistan Media Operations Center Story by Tech. Sgt. Gloria Wilson 08.29.2010 CAMP MOREHEAD, Afghanistan – The average person would never guess the story behind the funny, easy-going guy with the missing teeth. Quick to smile and quick to joke, his laid-back attitude tends to put people at ease, so being asked what happened to his mouth is common. “So are you missing teeth from a bar fight or hockey accident,” asked a U.S. Navy medic upon first meeting the 3rd Special Forces Group team member with the semi-toothless grin. “Neither, I got blown...

The stuff nightmares are made of!

MsMarti - — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 20:12:45 +0430

The stuff nightmares are made of.......waking up and realizing that you have no leg(s). Unfortunately, this is a reality for many of our wounded warriors. One thing they are guaranteed (I believe) is a replacement limb, a prosthetic leg that will allow them to stand, to walk again. First though, they have to heal from the wounds, survive multiple surgeries and then "learn" to walk again. One Marine has taken that a step further. He wants them to have the "option" to learn to run again. Why? There was a day, around 7 years ago, when it was thought by...

Air Force wounded warrior rides from coast to coast

MsMarti - — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:15:00 +0430

by Maj. Belinda Petersen Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs 7/12/2010 - RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) -- A combat controller, who last year was laying in a hospital fighting for his life, is now riding his bicycle across America as part of his rehabilitation and to inspire other wounded warriors. Along with 19 of his teammates, Staff Sgt. Marc Esposito from the 21st Special Tactics Squadron at Pope Air Force Base, N.C, is participating in the Sea to Shining Sea ride. The bike trek across America started at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and will end...

Prosthetic Feet aren't Slowing this Marine Down

MsMarti - — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 00:45:00 +0430

On Oct. 4, 2009 LCpl. Josh Wege was in Afghanistan. He was riding in a vehicle that was struck by an improvised explosive device. LCpl Wege received severe injuries to his lower legs and feet. In fact, his injuries were so severe that the doctor's were unable to save them. Did that slow down this Marine? Well after reading that just 44 days later Josh was up and walking a few steps on his new legs. Pretty amazing for a 19 year old young man who had just experienced a life changing injury! On Tuesday, November 17, 2009 Fox11Newsonline reports...

Navy Musician Teaches Rowing to Wounded Warriors

MsMarti - — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 17:45:00 +0430

By Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Jesse Awalt Naval District Washington Public Affairs 06.07.2010 WASHINGTON - A military musician assigned to the U.S. Navy Band here teaches rowing to wounded warriors recovering at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Patrick Johnson spends almost every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon motivating wounded warriors at the center's Mercy Hall. Four years ago, Chief Petty Officer Michel Curtis, also a member of the Navy Band, and Johnson, began rowing at the Capitol Rowing Club here as part of their physical training regimen. Capitol Rowing Club is a...

Soldier Overcomes Lifelong Fear With Warrior Games

MsMarti - — Wed, 19 May 2010 19:17:00 +0430

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs Story by Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden 05.14.2010 COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., - Army Spc. Marie Princler sought months ago to participate in the inaugural Warrior Games being held here this week to prove she's not limited by her disability. Like many disabled veteran athletes competing in the games, Princler suffers from a service-related injury, and is looking to build on an already-successful recovery program. But as the games neared, she toyed with the idea of confronting another handicap that emerged early in her childhood. A fear of water has troubled the...

Cyclists Refuse to Leave Teammate Behind

MsMarti - — Tue, 18 May 2010 18:53:00 +0430

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs By Elizabeth M. Collins 05.14.2010 COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., - The Warrior Games cycling competition, held at the U.S. Air Force Academy here in a May snow shower, May 13, would have daunted the toughest of professional cyclists, but not wounded, ill and injured service members. They battled their way through freezing temperatures and slippery roads, persevering in the midst of extreme pain, and even stopped to help each other along the way. Suffering from two torn rotator cuffs, Army Sgt. Monica Southall had never used a handcycle before arriving at the Warrior...

Air Force Veteran Aims for Paralympics

MsMarti - — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 00:48:57 +0430

04.02.2010 SNOWMASS VILLAGE, Colo., - In the blink of an eye your life can change forever. That's what happened to Sean Halsted one day when he fell 40 feet to the ground while fast-roping from a helicopter during a training mission at Hurlburt Field, Fla. "I don't remember what happened," said Halsted, a former combat controller who was stationed at then-McChord Air Force Base, Wash. "I just know one minute I was reaching for the rope, and the next I was on the ground with my back hurting and the guys are telling me to lay still." Halsted damaged his...

Running So Others Might Live Better

WOTN Editor — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 00:34:00 +0430

According to Boise State Research it takes an average 6’0 man running a 10 minute mile 1548 steps to run a mile. 287 more if he runs a 12 minute mile and 287 less if he runs an 8 minute mile. But with a 10 minute mile (and if I were running 26.2 miles, I’d be running a slow pace) that would be somewhere around 40,558 steps in a Marathon. I probably take 2100 steps on an APFT. In his quest to achieve full recovery while doing for others, one Marine is training for a Marathon. His goal is to...

The doctors said it wouldn’t happen, the Master Sergeant proved them wrong!

WOTN Editor — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 19:59:00 +0430

On October 26, 2008 MSgt. Jonathan R. White will be running the Marine Corps Marathon. His wife, Sgt. Peggy C. White, who is no longer in the Marines, will be running also. On July 23, 2003 Gunnery Sgt. Jonathan R. White was training for parachute operations with his fellow Marines. Little did he know that later on that day, his life would take a 180 degree turn! All was fine as he made ready to jump out of the helicopter. He was with a group of Marines making their first jump since their initial training. As a result, he was...

Army Dive Instructor Makes His Time Count

MsMarti - — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:17:00 +0430

United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School Story by Maj. Dave Butler 03.17.2010 KEY WEST, Fla. - Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Talmadge had two jobs when he reported to the U.S. Army Special Forces Underwater Operations School at Naval Air Station, Key West, Fla., in May 2008. He was charged with teaching special-operations Soldiers combat-dive skills and to recover from wounds received by a rocket-propelled grenade just seven months earlier. He did both. In Sept. 2007, Talmadge's five-vehicle patrol was ambushed by more than 60 well-prepared insurgents in southern Afghanistan. Talmadge was in the turret, operating...