2022

Tyler William Sloan was born February 15, 1985 in Portland, OR.  After several years of moving around, his family finally settled in Midland, TX where Tyler graduated from Midland Lee High School in 2003.  Tyler knew from a young age that joining the military was what he wanted to do, so shortly after graduating high school he was on his way to basic training with an Infantry MOS. He was then stationed in Fairbanks, AK where he prepared for his first deployment to Iraq.

Tyler was deployed to Mosul, Iraq in 2005. It was here in February of 2006 he was shot. The sniper round traveled through his stomach/intestines,  shattered his hip, and blew out his femoral artery. He was quickly stabilized and transported to Walter Reed via Landstuhl. After dying twice and being placed in a coma, Tyler awoke 10 days later. He spent the next 7 months healing and rehabilitating.  He then transferred to San Antonio for outpatient care. It was in 2008 that he elected to have his leg amputated due to extensive damage and loss of movement.

Tyler was medically retired from the Army in 2008. In his retirement, Tyler has dabbled in any type of vocation that has piqued his interest—from explosives cleanup to EMS to taxidermy (and seemingly everything in between!).  He enjoys trying new things, going to new places, and meeting new people. Some of his favorite post-injury activities include scuba diving, hunting, and fishing.

In July of 2012, Tyler met his future wife, Ashley, at a dancehall in San Antonio. Ashley was born and raised in the San Antonio area. She graduated from Boerne High School in 2003 and then from Texas State University in 2009 with a BBA in Accounting. After a 9 month courtship they were engaged and married on May 17, 2013. They welcomed their first child, Madison, on December 13, 2013. Their second child, Tyler Jr., came soon after on July 6, 2015. Tyler and his family currently call Menard, TX home.

Life in Menard for Tyler includes running several of his business ventures—gun shop, taxidermy, and construction—while also volunteering for the local fire department and helping with EMS when needed. Ashley has her own bookkeeping business and also enjoys substitute teaching during the school year. They are both very active in raising their children. Madison loves to go fishing with dad, while Tyler Jr. enjoys sitting in the blind while dad hunts. Come springtime, the whole family is involved with the local youth baseball/softball league in which both kids participate.

Thomas “Tom” Carpenter is a 60-year-old retired Army First Sergeant. His first enlistment was in the Marines from 1980-1984, then the Army from 1986-2006. He was injured in Iraq during May of 2005 while serving with Charlie Company, 1^st– 503^rd, 2^nd Infantry Division and retired in October 2006 after recovering from his injuries at Brook Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. Tom says he “enlisted in the Marines my senior year in high school to see the world, get money for college, and serve my country. I enlisted in the Army after my break in service because I missed the military way of life, so did my wife.” 

Tom met his wife Maria “Connie” Rivera in 1981 and they were married in November of 1982. She is from Harlingen, Texas. Together they have five children aged 31-39. From those children they have 14 grandkids aged 2-21; five of which live with them. Connie enjoys canning, sewing, traveling, and spending time with Tom and their grandchildren.

Tom grew up in the countryside of SW Michigan and worked on a small dairy farm from the age of 11 to 16. He then worked for a water well drilling and repair company until leaving for the Marine Corps. After his first enlistment in the Marines, he returned home and worked for a water well business before he reenlisted in the Army. Tom’s military assignments include service in the following units, XII Corps Headquarters in Germany, 3rd Ranger Battalion with a combat deployment supporting Operation Just Cause in Panama, 75th Ranger Regiment Headquarters (ROP) at Fort Benning Georgia, Drill Sergeant at Fort Sill Oklahoma, ROTC Instructor at South Dakota State University, 2^nd Infantry Division in Korea, and a combat deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Since retiring, Tom went to college through 2010, at which time he and Connie started full time care for five of their grandchildren. They currently live on 40 acres in Michigan which they purchased in 2017 and are slowly developing into a small farm. Their granddaughters are requesting that pigs be added to the farm so they can enjoy bacon along with chicken eggs every day. Apparently, they don’t fully understand where the bacon comes from, and that it isn’t as readily available as the eggs are. Tom also enjoys goose hunting, deer hunting, and trapping with his grandsons.

Steven grew up in North Carolina, mostly around the Salisbury, Concord, and Charlotte areas. Samantha grew up in Norfolk, VA and Salisbury, NC. Steven and Sam met in 1997, when they were in high school. They went to different schools, but worked together at a local seafood restaurant. They dated until Steven left for basic training in March 2003 and Sam was in college at UNC Greensboro. When Steven arrived at his first duty station, Schofield Barracks, HI, he convinced Samantha to quit school, fly to Hawaii, and get married. This was in September 2003. Steven left for Afghanistan in April 2004.

After a successful first deployment, Samantha gave birth to their first daughter, McKenna, in 2005. In Hawaii they spent most of their time at the various island beaches, Steven snorkeling, Samantha and McKenna playing in the sand and soaking in the island sun.

In August 2006, Steven left for his second deployment, this time to Iraq. Four months into the deployment, he was hit by his second IED in a month, this time, losing his left leg below the knee. For the next year, while Steven went to appointment after appointment and worked hard at physical therapy, Samantha entertained one-year old McKenna in the clinics and hallways of Walter Reed.

Steven medically retired in 2008 and began working as a federal contractor. Samantha worked at a child care center and began working to finish her undergraduate, and eventually graduate, degrees. Steven later got a job with as a federal employee, Sam became a fourth grade teacher, and McKenna got a little sister, Charli, born in 2011.

Currently the Curry family of four, Steven, Samantha, McKenna, and Charli, stay extremely busy is many ways. Steven is in his tenth year as government employee and is wrapping up his Senior year at Liberty University to complete his Bachelor’s in Aviation. Steven is also a part-time flight instructor and will hopefully be a mutli-engine flight instructor by the time he graduates. Samantha is a fourth grade teacher, president of their girls’ Summer swim team (who just finished their 3^rd undefeated season in July 2022!), and Curry household manager extraordinaire! Sam also enjoys laying by the pool and working out. Mckenna will be starting her Senior year in high school this year. Mckenna is a fantastic swimmer. She currently swims and volunteer coaches for a year-round club swim team. She is a paid coach and swims for her Summer swim team, lifeguards on the side, and is a varsity volleyball player for her high school. Charli swims for the Summer swim team, does gymnastics, and will be playing volleyball and cheerleading when she begins sixth grade this year. When the Curry family has free time, we like to hangout by the pool, ski and snowboard, play with our dogs, and just relax with family and friends that live nearby.

Johnny Nguyen grew up in San Jose, CA. California life growing up included a lot of hanging out at the beach, beautiful weather, and enjoying the mountains. He joined the military soon after completing high school. Johnny knew serving was something he wanted to do long before he graduated. In his words, “I have always admired the people that wore the uniform, and it was something I wanted to be a part of.” His first duty station was at Camp Casey, Korea in 2005. After completing that assignment, he was sent to Fort Hood, Texas where he remained for the rest of his time in the service. In 2007, he was assigned to 1st Battalion of 5^th Calvary Regiment and completed his first combat tour to Iraq in support of Operation Iraq Freedom as a Bradley and Humvee driver. When he deployed again in 2009, he was a 240-machine gunner.

During that summer he was struck by an EFP (Explosively Formed Penetrator) while on patrol. His left leg was amputated, above the knee, while in Germany awaiting transfer back to the US. All of Johnny’s recovery was done in San Antonio at Brooke Army Medical Center’s (BAMC) Center for the Intrepid. He found great camaraderie there as he was with many other injured soldiers that sustained similar combat injuries. After extensive physical therapy, it took him over a year to start walking again on his own.

During his recovery, Johnny realized that he greatly enjoyed the San Antonio area, so he decided to relocate and make this his new home, along with many other medically retiring veterans that he recovered with. This allowed him to maintain his medical and prosthetics care through BAMC. After he medically retired from the Army, he spent a lot of my time catching up on life. With the support of other local veterans, he started hunting and target shooting. However, lately he has found himself lost in his new passion of photography which he immediately gravitated to upon picking up a camera. 

Johnny says it took him a long time to find Monica. They met each other through Facebook and connected immediately. After extensive conversations, texts and late-night calls we finally met in person and “everything else just kinda fell together.” He also has enjoyed getting to know Christian, Monica’s 4-year old son, who he has a great relationship with. They have since moved into a new home together in the Canyon Lake area of Spring Branch, Texas. They are still busy settling in and are sure it will be some time before they unpack that last box. 

Jace Badia, 38, born in Tampa, FL. Joined the Army in 2005 as an infantryman and deployed to Ramadi, Iraq with 1st ID 18th Inf Regiment, in the summer 2006. He was injured by a roadside IED on Veterans Day, Nov 11th, 2006 resulting in left leg above knee amputation, right leg limb salvage and an assortment of other injuries. He spent three years at Walter Reid recovering and staying on active duty working throughout the DC and North Virginia area until fully transitioning into military intelligence the summer of 2010. He deployed two additional times supporting both, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation New Dawn, before continued ailments caused his full retirement in July 2013. 

Stephanie Badia, 36, born in California. Joined the Army in 2009 as an Imagery Analyst and deployed to Operation New Dawn in 2011-2012. Their last duty station was the 513th MI BDE, Ft Gordon, Georgia.  While there Stephanie and Jace had their two daughters Evelyn, 9, and Meredith, 8. Dean, 4, came later after they moved to Florida to be with family.

Nowadays they are living in Devil’s Tower, Wy running their startup business Mountain Top Farms, which is a pig and chicken farm, as well as custom wood products manufacturer. Jace is an avid Scuba Diver, instructing for Combat Wounded Veterans Challenge whenever possible. Both Jace and Stephanie are on the Recreation Board in Hulett, Wy with Jace being in charge of the town’s firing Range and Stephanie being the Secretary. They both love to hunt and fish and do it whenever possible together and with their kids. Stephanie is also finishing her Masters in Psychology.

Evelyn loves dinosaurs and shooting.

Meredith loves fashion and playing.

Dean loves dinosaurs and the Hulk.

David Guzman is a Purple Heart recipient and retired Army Sergeant. He was wounded in Iraq on September 17^th, 2004. He was on patrol in Taji, Iraq conducting convoy reconnaissance for an alternate route to move supplies from one base to another. He struck a roadside daisy-chained IED as they were passing throughasmall town. That blast left him with the loss of use of his right lower leg, right side hearing loss, right eye, and sustained multiple wounds on his face. On October 16, 2005, he medically retired from the service. They currently live in Wimberley, Texas with his wife, Maribel Guzman. They have two sons named Davidlee and Anthony. Both children are attending college. One is attending Texas State in San Marcos, and the other is in The Culinary Arts Institute of America at Hyde Park, New York. David also has a daughter from his first marriage, Arianna Guzman. 

David was born in Utah but was raised in Texas. He is the tenth child of Mr. Juan and Maria Antonia Guzman. When he was a small child, his family migrated between Texas and Utah for work. His father worked for the State of Utah as the Migrant Counselor to organize the workers for both states back in the 60s and 70s. By the time David graduated from high school, he wanted to join the military to follow in the steps of his father, his Uncle Francisco Guzman who is also a Purple Heart recipient, and his oldest sister and brother who also served. He joined the Army in 1989 and his first duty station was Fort Hood. During the first Gulf war he was sent back to his home state of Utah to finish out his service contract.

In 1997 he moved back to Texas and met Maribel at a dance hall on February 14^th, 1998; six weeks later they married. They have been through the thick and thins of life and have been happily married ever since. Since David’s injury, Maribel has been his caregiver, chauffeur, drill sergeant, better half, food taster, corrections officer, and most of all his “Wifey.” 

David credits Maribel and his children for giving him the purpose to get up every morning and become a better person in life. They have also given him the strength to complete college in his 40s and earn three certifications in Culinary Arts, which he finds great passion in. David, has put his skills to good use by doing volunteer work for non-profit organizations in order to give back to people who need a hot meal.

David would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to help his family through his injury and recovery by supporting them with their love and generosity.