I was born and raised in New Mexico where I grew up hunting, fishing, hiking and enjoying the wide open spaces and beautiful landscape. My dad had his own construction business in the small town we lived in and I spent a lot of time with him learning about construction and the value of hard work. Both of my grandfathers served in WWII and were great role models to have growing up.
In 2004 at the age of nineteen I enlisted in the United States Army and was sent to Fort Knox Kentucky where I completed basic training as an M1 Abrams armor crewman. After basic training I was stationed in Friedberg Germany with 1/37 Armor Battalion. I enjoyed my time there and was able to travel around Germany and Europe when we were not working or training.
In January of 2006 my unit was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The first few months of our deployment were spent in northern Iraq and for the most part were uneventful. In March of 2006 our unit was sent to Ramadi Iraq to join in the effort to clear the city of one of the last remaining insurgent strongholds in the country.
On December 24th 2006 my tank struck a very large improvised explosive device that was buried in the road. I woke up on the ground with my tank crew and medic working to save my life. The last thing that I remember was being loaded onto the medivac helicopter. Over the next three days multiple surgeries were performed in Iraq and Germany to save my life. I had broken both of my arms, fractured my back and had both legs amputated above the knee.
I woke up in the ICU at Walter Reed Army Hospital on December 28th 2006 and would spend the next two and half years there recovering from my injuries, undergoing several surgeries, and learning to walk on prosthetics. During my time there I met many amazing people who were all dedicated to helping me recover. The determination of the other vets and the support from my wife and family were what gave me the determination to never give up.
After leaving Walter Reed my wife and I moved to Colorado where we both attended and graduated from Colorado State University. After graduating I started working as an estimator for a large General Contractor in the Denver area. My wife and I now have two beautiful daughters ages 3 and 6 and we live outside of Denver Colorado. I am currently attending school at the University of Denver working towards an MBA with a concentration in real estate. When I’m not spending time with the girls I enjoy hunting, fishing, playing the guitar, and golfing.
