Koree Ritter

John Michael “Mikey” Fairfax joined the Army in 1993 as an Airborne Infantryman.  During his first assignment, he held positions that included Machine Gunner and Team Leader while serving with the historic 82nd Airborne Division.  Mikey then transitioned his career by volunteering to attend SFAS, Special Forces Assessment and Selection. Earning the coveted Green Beret, Mikey spent the rest of his military service as a Team Sergeant with the elite 3rd Special Forces Group.  His tasks included multiple deployments in various direct action units, as well as being a specialized training instructor preparing special forces soldiers for deployment.

On July 31, 2005, during his third Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) deployment assigned to 3^rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), he was critically wounded by an IED while on a mounted combat reconnaissance patrol near Firebase Cobra.  The extent of his injuries was a partially collapsed left lung, an avulsion of the right eye, and a complex fracture of his right femur that severed his femoral artery and popliteal vein.  His wife was flown to Germany since the doctors were not sure if he would survive his wounds.  Mikey had extensive skin grafts, a gastric flap to cover the open femur fracture, foot drop, and only 70 degrees range of motion in the right knee.  In November 2007, after two years of limb salvage on his leg, he made the decision to have an elective amputation of his right leg above the knee.  He made this decision so he could deploy again one day with his Battalion back to Afghanistan and get back to being a Green Beret.         

In 2008, Mikey became the first amputee in the US Army to graduate from Jumpmaster School.  Beginning in January 2010, he has deployed three times back to Afghanistan in support of OEF despite the amputation of his leg.

His honors include Bronze Star Medal (2 Oak Leaf Clusters), Purple Heart, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal among others.  He retired from the Army in June 2016 after almost 23 years.

His civilian education includes a B.S. in Exercise and Sport Science with a concentration in Exercise Physiology, cum laude, from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.  He also has an Associate Degree in General Studies from Fayetteville Technical Community College.  He is currently enrolled at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary to pursue a Master of Divinity in Preaching and Pastoral Ministry.

Mikey and his wife, Paula, have been married since 2004 and have five children, Tristen (20), Jordan (19), Gracie (17), Grayson (12), and Carson (10).  They make their home in Hope Mills, NC

Jake was born in Modesto, California in 1969 and grew up in Big Bear Lake, California.  He joined the Army after graduating from high school in 1990.  After basic training at Ft. Knox, KY, he also attended Airborne School.  He served as a driver and loader on a Sheridan tank.

After his first reenlistment he was assigned to Germany, where he served as a MK 19 Gunner in a Light Cavalry Platoon.  His tour in Germany was cut short due to a car accident that sent him to Walter Reed Army Medical Center.  After his recovery he was assigned to Ft. Knox, KY, and served as a mission issue facility NCOIC and then was DA selected to recruiting duty.

Jake served in Alaska as a Section Sergeant for a Light Cavalry Troop.  After one year he became a Cold Weather Instructor for Northern Warfare Training Center in Ft Greely, AK.  Jake reenlisted to stay in Alaska to serve with the new SBCT that was standing up 4^th Squadron 14^th Cavalry Regiment.

Jake was a Section Sergeant and a Platoon Sergeant while deployed to Iraq in August 2005.  Jake was severely injured in June 2006 after his Stryker rolled over an IED.  He spent 18 months at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.  He continued to serve in the Army as a Staff NCO/Enlisted Adviser for the Assistant Surgeon General of Warrior Care and Transition and the Director of Warrior Care and Transition Office.

His awards include the Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal and Good Conduct Medal.  He also has a Parachutist, a Pathfinder and a Combat Action Badge.

Jake finished a successful twenty-year career in the Army and retired in February 2011.  He enrolled in the Professional Golfers Career College in Temecula, CA and received his Associate Degree in Professional Golf Management. 

Jake has an adult daughter who lives in Ohio.  He and his wife, Vanessa, daughter, Joy (14) and a golden retriever, Lucy, live in Fallbrook, CA.

Daniel was born in Tucson, AZ on July 4^th, 1971 so he had no choice but to be a Patriot.  He joined the Army in February 1990 and conducted Basic and Advanced Individual Training at Ft Benning, GA. as an Indirect Fire Infantryman.

During his time in the Army he held a variety of positions such as Driver/Ammo Bearer, Assistant Gunner, Mortar Gunner, Mortar Squad Leader, Mortar Section Sergeant and Mortar Platoon Sergeant.  Additionally, he was assigned as an Army Recruiter (Las Vegas, NV) and Basic Combat Training Drill Sergeant (Ft Jackson, SC) and served in Baumholder, Germany, Ft. Carson, CO and Ft Hood, TX

In the early afternoon hours on April 8, 2006 he was on a patrol in Southern Baghdad when his Humvee was engaged by an IED.  The intensity of the blast sent shrapnel through the floorboards and the area behind the front tire resulting in the traumatic amputation of both his legs below the knees along with other minor injuries.  During his recovery at the Brooke Army Medical Center he was diagnosed with osteomyelitis, MRSA, pseudomonas aeruginosa and other infectious microbes.

After two years of recovery and rehabilitation and 18 years in the Army, Daniel was ready to be released from the Warrior in Transition Battalion.  He was able to continue on active duty and spent the next two years working at the Center for the Intrepid at Ft. Sam Houston, TX operating the Firearms Training Simulator.  Daniel retired in April 2010 with 20 years as a Master Sergeant.

Since retiring from the Army, he has earned a B.S. in Computer Information Systems at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, TX.  He is currently working as the Skills4Life Program Manager for the Military Warriors Support Foundation.

The outdoors was a big part of his recovery.  Getting to spend time with other veterans in the outdoors doing the things they love is really a blessing to Daniel.  It’s not about killing animals or catching big fish, but more about the time spent together around the campfire sharing their stories and making new lifelong friends in the process.  He is grateful for this opportunity.

Daniel and his wife, Ernestine, have been married for 25 years.  Their daughter, Mary will be attending Texas Tech University in the Fall of 2019.  She plans to get a degree in Political Science and eventually become a lawyer.

Clayton was born in San Benito, TX, graduated from high school in Angleton, TX, and earned his undergraduate degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point.

During his Army career, he was assigned to 10th Mountain Division and Special Operations Task Force 17.  He earned his Airborne and Air Assault wings, and graduated as the Honor Graduate from the US Army Ranger School.  Clayton served as an Infantry Officer.  He medically retired as a Captain due to wounds sustained during an improvised explosive attack while conducting a night raid to kill or capture Al Qaeda in Iraq.

His military decorations include the Combat Infantryman Badge, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and Meritorious Service Medal.

After serving in the military, Clayton worked for the Joint IED Defeat Organization and with various non-profit organizations in Washington, D.C.  Clayton is an ambassador to the Vail Veterans Program and a past board member to the Elizabeth Dole Foundation.

Clayton earned a master’s degree from Georgetown University, completed continuing executive education at Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management and is a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program at Babson College.

He was the founder, President and CEO of USi which was acquired by Ignite in 2016.  After working for Ignite as Chief Marketing Officer for three years, Clayton became President and COO of Systems, Products, Solutions, Inc., a global aviation and ground systems logistics company primarily supporting Department of Defense readiness efforts.

Clayton and his wife, Leslie, have two daughters, Lana (7) and Lisa (4,) and live in Huntsville, AL.

Brandon grew up in Topsham, Maine and spent most of his life there. His father was in the Navy for 23 years along with several other family members who are in the service. Brandon graduated from Mt. Ararat High School in June 2005 and 2 weeks later left for Army Basic Training. He completed Airborne School and was sent to Ft. Drum, NY with the 10th Mountain Division.

Brandon was an infantryman and deployed to Iraq in August 2006. While conducting combat operations in his sector on March 24, 2007, he was hit with an IED while driving an armored Humvee. It blew up directly underneath the driver’s seat where he was sitting and knocked him unconscious. All the bones in his lower left leg and foot were broken, fractured, shattered and dislocated. The explosion caused a traumatic brain injury and blew out both his eardrums. He was taken by helicopter to Baghdad where he required numerous surgeries to stabilize his leg. Subsequently at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, he underwent over 50 surgeries to try to salvage his leg. Three days after his 20th birthday he made the decision to amputate his left leg below the knee.

Brandon was devastated. However, he began to accept his new reality and life when he met other amputees and saw how well they got around and their positive outlook on life. Learning to walk again was a difficult and painful experience at first. In response, he gave 100% every day at physical therapy. Within several months he was running, rock climbing, lifting weights and snowboarding.  

After a total of 20 months at Walter Reed, Brandon returned to active duty and his infantry platoon at the end of 2008.  He was able to stay active for a year and a half, even returning to Iraq with Operation Proper Exit through the Troops First Foundation. Brandon was medically retired in 2010 and returned home to Maine.

Last September, Brandon married his wife, Riva. The couple have a dog, Ella, who serves as his PTSD service dog. Ella completed her training in July!

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 24^th 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 28^th 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.