Noah Galloway

One month after 9/11, noah galloway enlisted in the us army.there,he was assigned to the 1st of the 502nd Infantry of the 101st Airborne Division out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky. in the infantry, he was one of the few elite soldiers who would serve as front line ground troops during a time of war. In 2003, Noah fought in the initial strike on Iraq and spent one year fighting in Operation Iraqi Freedom, which he says got him "hooked" and from that moment he knew he wanted to return. "I loved my job as an infantry soldier," says Noah. "In the first year I was there, I saw the difference and progress we were making. I could not wait to return. Just the thought of going back thrilled me." In September 2005, Noah was finally redeployed to Iraq and just three months later, he suffered a life changing injury. On December 19, 2005, Noah lost his left arm above the elbow and left leg above the knee in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack in Yusafiah, Iraq. He was quickly transported to Germany to receive medical treatment and was unconscious for five days. Noah woke up late in the evening on Christmas Eve to find out he had lost two of his limbs and also sustained several injuries to his remaining leg and his jaw. Noah was then transferred to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Not only was he faced with the overwhelming challenge of his recovery and learning to live life as a double amputee.

Moving beyond the emotional scars, Noah focused all his energy on his physical recovery and used the support of his fellow injured soldiers at Walter Reed as inspiration. "All of us were raised in different towns with different families, but we were all servicemen and women who put our all into what we did and now each of us faced a different life ahead than the one we left before we went to combat," says Noah. "Whether is was a spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, blindness, loss of a limb or some other kind of injury, we were all trying to find out who we were now that we were out in our communities with our new bodies, new mindsets and new lives."

Corporal Kionte Storey

Corporal Kionte Storey was born in Stockton, Ca on August 1st, 1988. He graduated from Edison High School in june 2007 and shipped off to Marine Corp Training Depot Of San Diego in July 15th, 2007.

After completion of boot camp Pfc. Storey was sent to Infantry Training Battalion at the School of Infantry located on Camp Pendleton, CA. After graduating school of infantry in december of 07, Pfc. Storey was assigned to his first duty station in twenty-nine palms, CA with 3rd battalion 7th marines. Lcpl. Storey was deployed to haditha, Iraq in August of 2008 to February of 2009 for Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Lcpl. Storey was soon deploy to Afghanistan in march of 2010 for Operation Enduring Freedom where he sustained his injuries. Lcpl. Storey was a team leader on patrol in early morning of September with is squad when clearing out a building he was hit by an IED, sustaining lost of lower right limb below the knee and compartment syndrome to his left leg. Lcpl. Storey was carried out and move while still leading his junior marine. He was transported to Camp Bastion, Afghanistan to be treated for his injuries then transported to Bethesda medical center in Virginia where he was awarded his purple heart and navy achievement medal w/ valor device(NAM).

Cpl. Storey is now receiving treatment at Naval Medical Center of San Diego (NMCSD) in Comprehensive Combat and Complex Casualty Care (C5) rehabilitation program. Cpl. Storey has made a amazing recovery and fast recovery. He has now since his injuries snowboarded, skateboarded, and skied. He is now competing in track of 100m and 200m in attempt to making it to the Paralympics. Cpl. Storey refuses to let anything hold him back and continue to push on. His high spirit and motivation has enlightened other wounded marines to also to continue and push forward because life doesn't stop so we shouldnt either.

Cpl. Brad Ivanchan

I was born November 4th 1988 in Phoenix, Az. I had an average upbringing and was born into a middle class family. Both my parents work for the same company and worked hard to provide me, my older brother, and younger sister everything we needed growing up. In grade school as well as high school I loved sports and played football as well as rugby. I also loved music and frequently attended local metal and rock shows around Phoenix. Despite all the trouble I got in growing up In 2007 I graduated from Deer Valley high school.

Ever since I could remember I wanted to be a marine, and on January 22nd 2008 I shipped out to USMC Recruit Depot San Diego to become one. Within a few months of graduating boot camp I was stationed with 1st battalion 7th marines as a machine gunner with Charlie Company, weapons platoon. Within a year my unit was deployed to Fallujah, Iraq where I spent 7 months as a turret gunner providing security for Explosive Ordinance Disposal teams as well as conducting mobile security patrols in the Karma and Fallujah area. My second deployment was in the fall of 2010 where I was deployed to the south pacific under the 31 st Marine Expeditionary Unit. I returned home in early 2011 and shortly after I met the love of my life Sarah Welch. All of 2011 I spent training for my upcoming deployment to Afghanistan all the while making the drive back home every weekend to Arizona to see Sarah. Finally on December 28th 2011 I married Sarah in Las Vegas, Nevada

In March 2012 I deployed to the deadly Sangin district of Afghanistan. There I spent the next 3 months as a machine gun Squad leader conducting day and night foot patrols in Sangin’s southern green zone. On the night of June 13 th I stepped on a pressure plate of an 8 to 12 pound I.E.D, and my life was changed forever. The I.E.D blew off both my legs, my right below the knee, and my left above the knee. That same night two other members from our nine man squad were wounded, and one was killed. Two days later I woke up in a hospital in Germany and had to come to terms with the loss of my legs, and the fact that my life would never be the same. On June 18th I arrived at Balboa Navy Medical Hospital in San Diego California. There I received many more surgeries repairing my legs as well as my left hand. Only once the surgeries were done with did I start the long and painful process of recovery...