Christian Fierro was born and raised in the town of Canutillo, Texas, just outside of El Paso city limits. Chris is the second youngest of five siblings, in a generational military family. His father had a distinguished career and retired as an Army Master Sergeant. His oldest sister also served in the Army, and his valiant grandfather served in World War II. His family’s core values were God, family, and country: living and leaving a legacy of duty of sacrifice.
Following his high school graduation, Chris embarked on a journey that would shape the trajectory of his life. In 1999, he was nominated and accepted into the US Military Academy Prep School. Upon completion of Prep came West Point, where he honed his skills and majored in Systems Engineering from 2000 to 2004. After graduation from West Point, he attended Artillery Officer Basic and was stationed in Ft. Sill, Lawton Oklahoma in the fall of 2004. Here he met his wife, Jessica.
Upon completing officer basic, Chris was stationed in Baumholder with the 1st Armored Division, 4-27 Field Artillery. After a brief long-distance relationship, he and Jessica eloped in Las Vegas’ Little White Chapel, June 21, 2005. Jessica joined him in Germany that September & Chris deployed to Iraq in November 2005. Initially he served as a Fire Support Officer then transitioned to the role of Executive Officer and Platoon Leader for SVC Battery 4-27 FA. In August 2006, Chris was critically wounded in a friendly fire incident during a mission in Baghdad. A misfired bullet struck his left lower ankle, and the recovery would be arduous. Flown immediately to Landstuhl Germany, he was met by Jessica who never left his side again from that moment. He underwent eighteen surgeries during a four-month stay at Walter Reed and 12 additional at Fort Sam Houston. In 2008, at Fort Sam Houston, he made the difficult decision to amputate his leg due to complications. The limb salvage was ultimately unsuccessful. After years of hospitalizations, surgeries, and pain that never ended. This decision marked the ending of a once promising military career and propelled him towards medical retirement in fall of 2009.
Since his amputation, Chris has redefined his limitations and embraced new challenges head-on. First, he learned to walk all over again. Though the life of an amputee isn’t pain-free, it was a new freedom. He attempted skiing, a first for a desert native. He learned the game of golf from PGA players volunteering their skills and time. He also cultivated unbreakable bonds with other wounded veterans as they pushed, cheered, and held one another through both unfathomable trials and thrilling achievements.
In 2018, he graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Master’s in Business Administration. His professional journey led him to financial services. Being an instrumental role in developing life insurance products, performing program management, and embracing leadership at companies such as the esteemed USAA and the start-up Bestow. During Chris’ tenor at Bestow, it was ranked the #1 life insurance company. Today, Christian Fierro resides in the picturesque hill country just outside San Antonio, Texas. His love story with Jessica continues and they are the proud parents of two daughters, Laci (16) and Lena (12.)
