2019

Lonnie enlisted into the Army as an armored crewman in 1995. He served on active duty for 3 years achieving the rank of Specialist. After fulfilling his three-year commitment, Lonnie decided to continue his military career and enrolled into ROTC through Kansas State University. During this time Lonnie served in the Kansas Army National Guard where he achieved the rank of Sergeant. In 2001 he received his commission as a Second Lieutenant into the Infantry and graduated with a B.S. in Criminology.

Lonnie attended the Infantry Officer Basic Course, Airborne School, and Mechanized Leader’s Course at Ft. Benning, Georgia. Upon completing these schools, he went on to become a Mechanized Infantry Platoon Leader in 1-16 Infantry at Ft. Riley, Kansas.

In September 2003 Lonnie deployed his platoon to Iraq. In Iraq he led over 60 combat missions where he detained known insurgents, uncovered many weapons caches, discovered numerous IEDs, and reacted to frequent direct fire attacks.  On April 6, 2004, Lonnie was seriously wounded when a rocket propelled grenade pierced his Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle.  As a result of this attack, Lonnie sustained flash burns, a concussion, and a right leg injury that necessitated the amputation of his leg above the knee.  He was medically retired from active duty in September 2005 as a Captain.

Lonnie is one of the recognized founders of the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), was the first Chair of WWP and then served as the Western Area Director for the WWP where he tended to the needs of wounded service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Lonnie left WWP to return to government service in the Army with the Warrior Care and Transition Program (WCTP).  He has been with the WCTP since 2008 supporting career and education readiness (CER) and transition for Soldiers and their Families.  Lonnie writes policy, provides training and conducts the Organizational Inspection Program (OIP) for career and education programs for the WCTP.  His policies have affected over 75,000 US Army Soldiers and their transition out of the service or back to duty.  He has overseen the CER OIP, and with trends analysis and program revision has increased program compliance from the 70^th percentile to over 85 percent.

Lonnie has served on several government advisory committees.  He was appointed by Presidents Bush and Obama as a member of the National Council on Disability (NCD), was appointed by VA Secretary Nicholson to serve on the VA OIF/OEF Service Members and Families Council and appointed by Secretary Shinseki to serve on the VA Prosthetics and Special Disabilities Advisory Committee.

Lonnie’s military awards include the Purple Heart, Bronze Star and Combat Infantry Badge (CIB) amongst many others.  Lonnie is also a Distinguished Member of the Regiment (DMOR) for 1-16 Infantry.

Lonnie resides in Chula Vista, California with his wife Jacqueline.  They are the proud parents of three sons, Caleb (18), Declan (10) and Riley (8).

Kade was born and raised in Burlington, CO, the youngest of four brothers and worked on his parents’ farm.  From an early age he always wanted to be in the military.  His interest was sparked watching the History Channel with stories about our country’s military and the heroism and sacrifice for doing what was need and more.  Growing up he was a very physically active kid running, climbing trees and hay bales, grain bins, riding his bike and playing basketball with his brothers.  He channeled that energy into school sports and competed in football, basketball, and track.  Being part of a team and being in shape helped him get into the military and, as it turned out, also led him to meet a girl in seventh grade who would later become his wife.

Kade joined the Marine Corps in 2004, trained for a year before being deployed to Iraq and was stationed at Camp Ramadi as an Infantry rifleman.  On October 8, 2005, while on patrol, his Humvee ran over a dual stacked IED.  The Humvee exploded, ejecting him and leaving him near death with injuries including a depressed skull fracture, collapsed lungs and a severe leg injury.

He was airlifted to Landstuhl, Germany where his right leg was amputated above the knee, 40% of his skull was removed to alleviate swelling of the brain, and he was put in a drug induced coma.  Once stateside at Bethesda Naval Hospital, he remained in a coma for three weeks.  The left side of his body was paralyzed from the Traumatic Brain Injury.  Kade started his rehabilitation at Walter Reed Army Medical Center where he stayed for over a year and a half.  He had countless hours of physical therapy to learn how to do everything again.  He also had several surgeries to revise the amputation and several on his skull to repair the missing piece.  Physical and occupational therapy helped him regain most of the function on the left side of his body and learn to walk with a prosthesis.

Kade has worked through his injuries and completed a trade school program in gunsmithing.  He currently works at a brewery and loves to home-brew beer.  He enjoys shooting, hunting, skiing, and being outdoors.

Kade and his wife, Becky, were both very young when he was injured.  They waited until after he retired to begin their lives together and were married in 2008.  Kade and Becky feel incredibly blessed with their amazing little family.  They welcomed their first baby girl, Zoe, in 2012 and a second baby girl, Makena in 2017.  They live in Elizabeth, CO in a handicapped accessible home that was built for them in 2010.

Semper Fidelis

Josh grew up in the countryside of Sturgeon, a small town in central Missouri.  It is a town with gravel roads, one grocery store and a population of less than 900.  Without many friends living nearby, Josh spent most of his time in the woods exploring with his dog, fishing, riding 4-wheelers and horses.  Coming from a family of prior service members, Josh knew his ticket out of town would come from an undying love for his country.  Shortly after high school graduation in 2005, Josh enlisted in the Army as a Cavalry Scout and headed to Ft. Knox, KY for training.

After graduation, Josh was sent to Ft. Benning, GA for Airborne School then to a newly established Cavalry Squadron at Ft. Bragg, NC in the 82nd Airborne Division.  Josh deployed to Afghanistan in January 2007.  Josh was in a platoon of 15 scouts and was the .50 caliber machine gunner of the lead patrol vehicle.  After many firefights and proving their efficiency, Josh’s platoon was selected for a special assignment and sent to a small patrol base south of Kabul called Camp Airborne.

Nights of indirect fire led the platoon to a nearby village for a reconnaissance patrol on October 14, 2007.  Josh was in the turret of the truck manning the .50 caliber

machine gun when an IED was triggered under the front wheels of the Humvee, destroying the engine and causing a roadblock for the other vehicles.  Multiple rocket propelled grenades (RPG) were fired.  One pierced the side armor of Josh’s Humvee and struck him in the leg.  While injured, he returned fire toward the enemy allowing his squad mates time to dismount and find cover.  Josh was able to climb out of the turret before the vehicle became engulfed in flames and began crawling toward cover.  While on the ground, he was shot multiple times before being taken to the evacuation point along with 12 others injured from his platoon.  A few days later, Josh awoke in a hospital bed at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. where he was informed of the amputation of his leg above the knee.

After a year of rehabilitation, Josh was ready to continue his life’s journey and relocated to Orlando to attend the University of Central Florida.  During his time in Orlando, he was introduced to organizations involved in improving the lives of wounded veterans, providing them with adaptive activities such as golf, scuba diving, hunting, fly fishing, and mentorship programs.  

After five years in Florida, Josh decided to return to his roots and headed back to his hometown in Missouri where he lives in the country with his wife, Diana, and stepson Brooks Potter (8).

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.