Warrior Stories

As a Black woman soldier, I had to make myself the picture of perfection. There was no room for error in the military. I had to hit the ground running flawlessly...

By age 21, Bryan Wagner lost his leg to combat injuries and spent two years enduring surgeries and...

Dan Smee’s life has changed rapidly since returning from Iraq in 2006 after his second stint in the U.S. Army. He served in the 1980s and chose to enlist...

Marine Lance Cpl. Tim Horton was injured in combat in 2005 and evacuated to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center...

From the streets of Chicago to the Notre Dame basketball court to a battleground in Iraq, Danielle Green’s story is one of determination and inspiration.

At first, Sharona Young didn’t see herself as a wounded warrior. She had a back injury from falling down a ladder on a ship but didn’t have any other combat injuries. But while on active duty...

Veteran Rochelle Cooper had her life planned when she was in high school. After graduation, she would attend college to focus on furthering her education. She would also join the Army Reserves,...

When Navy veteran Marquise Morris was stationed in Japan in 2011...

There was a moment, soon after realizing the extent of his burn wounds and combat injuries, when Anthony Villarreal didn’t expect anyone to stick by him, including his wife. He would look at...

David Long is a Marine veteran who was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. He’s managing traumatic brain injury (TBI)...

Army veteran Brian “Amarok” Critton loves riding his motorcycle. It gives him peace of mind, and an escape from the noise in his head. One afternoon, while doing what he loves, Amarok came...

The holidays are upon us, and the reality for many military members is the separation from their family members and loved ones. Veterans often spend their holidays...

Two wounded warriors, Brent Whitten and Brett Miller, returned to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, where they were treated and...

As the new year approaches, we're bringing warriors together and encouraging them to get #WWPFit. Starting now, warriors can sign up for the #WWPFit challenge that begins Monday, Jan. 2. This is a...

For Caryn Finch-Collier, retirement is an opportunity to continue serving – even after dedicating more than 35 years of military service to her country. As an Army major, Caryn is used to...

Army veteran Daniel Walter likes to paint. “Art is my outlet,” Daniel explained. “I don't have very good conversation skills, and I don't talk to a lot of people, so painting is how I get...

Army veteran Tracy Ardrey’s fingers moved quickly over the computer keys. Click, click, click. Letters quickly formed words. Words quickly formed sentences as her thoughts materialized on the...

Three years in a row, a group of supporters have joined Christina Witchey in Chehalis, Washington to honor Army veteran Ryan Taniguchi by doing a 5K together. Ryan’s time with Christina and...

Life was going well for Jacob Cox. He was 21 years old and a member of the U.S. Coast Guard, serving his country out of Florida. As the years went by, Jacob noticed something wrong with his...

Army veteran Raquel Rojas had a rude awakening. One night while she was visiting her daughter in Brooklyn, New York, she was jolted by her daughter’s pleas to breathe. Raquel was unaware she had...

What seemed like another trip back home was anything but for Army veteran Marvin Frink. After 15 years of service and deployments to Kuwait, Korea, and Saudi Arabia, Marvin transitioned back to...

The story of Army National Guard veteran Germán Rivera-Caballero takes us to the island known as La Isla Del Encanto. Puerto Rico is home for Germán, and when it came time to go to college, like...

Army veteran Paul Delacerda has played drums since age 9. He started touring with his first band at 17. So, after an IED attack in Iraq sidelined his Army career, he thought he would pick up music...

June is PTSD Awareness Month Sean Karpf is a husband, father, brother, son, business owner, and loving friend. He is also a veteran who manages post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Giving voice...

For National Women’s Health Week (May 8-14), Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) is sharing the inspiring story of an Air Force veteran and woman warrior who found peace and healing through one of...

Army veteran Sean Sanders was used to leading teams and showing strength and courage daily. “The military teaches you to be self-reliant,” Sean said. “I was proud of who I had become through...

Marine veterans Nick Bennett and Dan Miller held a box of shrapnel in their hands. It’s not the sort of thing that helps most people bond. But the jagged metal pieces were surgically removed...

Todd Plybon saw some of his high school students volunteering for military service after 9/11 and felt compelled to do more. The chemistry and physics teacher was 32 at the time, had an...

SHEBOYGAN, WIS. – Army veteran Ralph Perpignan eyed the target diligently. As he sized up his surroundings, he prepared his partner to take the all-important shot. After every detail had been...

Do you have the same needs today as you did when you were 18? Most people’s needs change as they mature, including veterans. Wounded Warrior Project’s (WWP) Annual Warrior Survey tracks the...

Returning from Iraq after a convoy accident, Army veteran Lisa Crutch remembered many things that happened during deployment but could not recall many memories from life at home. Her children...

With a 5-year-old son, Beth King knew what she was risking if she enlisted in the military, but that’s exactly why she went into the service – for the sake of her son and country. “I watched...

Ciara didn’t know she’d be meeting her soulmate when she went with a friend to a songwriting retreat in rural Georgia in 2018. Eric wasn’t expecting to find love when he traveled from New...

Laura and Jonathan Grant met when Jonathan’s duty station transferred to Fayetteville, North Carolina. Laura was a Pilates instructor in her own studio nearby. The two quickly realized they had...

A group of wounded warriors recently hiked 17 miles in the Texas Hill Country to honor the 17 veterans who die by suicide each day. The warriors participated in the second annual hike as part of a...

Motorcycles, mental health, and the magic of the Florida Keys. That was the setting and focus for a group of veterans at a recent Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) workshop called Rolling Project...

Sergio Alfaro sat in the middle of a test at Harvard Medical School, but all he could think about were traumatic events that happened in Iraq. After serving as a medic in Iraq, Sergio followed up...

James Rivera spent six months in Iraq with the Marines, driving convoys for 120 to 150 miles each day. When he returned home, James isolated himself and felt depressed. He used to spend days and...

Leaving the structure of military life and venturing into the unknown as a civilian is a monumental change. Any change can cause stress, and for many people the stress can lead to anxiety....

Jake Norotsky can get real with students in his aviation program because he’s been there. While still a senior in high school, he balanced schoolwork, a full-time job, and National Guard weekend...

For veterans facing a new life with prosthetic limbs or orthopedic devices, simple aspects of life like clothing take on a whole new meaning. Newly bought clothing might require custom tailoring...

August is Romance Awareness Month, and while romance is portrayed a certain way in mainstream media, what it really comes down to is connection. Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) offers a couples’...

When Army veteran Elizabeth Martinez Gonzalez first separated from the military, she was ready to walk away from anything that reminded her of military life. After all, she felt the military had...

When Rob McGregor retired from the Navy in 2014, he anticipated a smooth landing in civilian life. The former helicopter pilot left the military as a lieutenant commander after 27 years of...

A rare cancer changed Kelly Elmlinger’s role from nurse to patient at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC). Kelly had joined the Army during her sophomore year in college, turning down athletic...

Life can change in an instant, taking away the independence we’ve become accustomed to. Fernando Martinez spent more than 15 years defending our nation’s freedoms in the Marine Corps Reserve...

Finding peace and quiet can feel difficult at times. Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) art class participants have found a way to find solace in creating something new. While these classes are...

After a tough week, Army veteran Jenein Hamilton could have stayed home and skipped a recent women’s empowerment weekend organized by Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP). But her efforts to attend...

Most parents will tell you they have an unparalleled bond with their children. Cindy Parsons’ bond with her son Shane has been tried and tested. In 2006, Cindy received a phone call that no...

One of the benefits of activities shifting to virtual settings in 2020 is that people can gather together from anywhere. Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) has given warriors the chance to connect...

If Air Force veteran Sam Hargrove could step back in time, she would. She would remind herself to have faith amid the dark moments when she tried to drown her post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)...

Army veteran Brent McPeek is confronting the experience that changed his life forever — the day a sniper killed his best friend in Iraq. Now 13 years later, an unexpected medium is helping him...

When everyday stressors mix with ongoing isolation, it can be difficult for those with anxiety and PTSD to get out of the house and socialize. For the past several months, Wounded Warrior...

Dalanie Franklin has always been someone people go to for advice. His open mind and non-judgmental character attracted friends, colleagues, and even members of his Army unit chain of command to...

The sky is the limit for a group of wounded warriors in North and South Carolina who recently finished training to become commercial drone pilots. The veterans received instruction on remote drone...

In the middle of nowhere in southern New Mexico, Army Col. (Ret.) Dave Parramore reached a breaking point. “It was pretty clear I was going no further,” Dave said. His solo cross-country bike...

Veteran Employment Trending Positively but Need Remains Great One year after the veteran unemployment rate skyrocketed to nearly 12%, there is hope for the job prospects of America’s warriors,...

Navy veteran Deborah Tucker would like to play on the floor with her three-year-old son Logan without feeling pain. A spinal fusion in her lower back and a debilitating autoimmune disease present...

Army veteran Bobby Henline’s humor goes beyond coping with injuries. His humor uplifts and inspires veterans and civilians alike with a humble touch and a dose of truth. “When you talk about...

Warriors had a chance to show off their golf skills at Top Golf during WWP's Golf Appreciation event. For the past seven months, female warriors met in groups and one-on-one to connect and play...

Joyce Simon had her ducks in a row. The Army medic carefully planned her transition out of the military more than a year ahead. She attended meetings for the Army’s transition program, networked...

Standard Marine Corps uniform: coat, pants, belt…trombone? It was for wounded warrior Ixchel Perez — she served in the Marine Corps band for nearly a decade as a trombonist and vocalist....

In the fall of 1976, Jennifer (Jen) Silva was just starting kindergarten, while 119 women entered the halls of West Point for the first time as students. Thirteen years later, Jen joined the Long...

In WWP’s Project Odyssey, warriors can address resilience and psychological well-being and increase their awareness of how sleep disruption — nightmares and insomnia — are influenced by PTSD...

On a foggy February day in Florida, feelings of love and friendship filled the air as veteran couples fixated on a few dolphins majestically swimming by. Splash! Army veteran Nikischia Lawrence...

Air Force veteran Tom Marcum candidly admits that without help and support from Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP), his life would be drastically different. While deployed in Iraq, Tom survived three...

Warriors in Motion_Newsroom There was a buzz of excitement in the air as wounded warriors from across the nation readied their adaptive winter sports gear, strapped into their boots, and exited...

Wounded warriors with a passion for motorcycle riding recently enjoyed a virtual tour of the Harley-Davidson® Museum and a conversation with the great-grandchildren of the company’s co-founder....

Yolanda Poullard looks back on her time in the Army and misses using her leadership skills. While serving, she led more than 150 soldiers on a communications team. They helped connect units around...

MARYSVILLE, Wash. (Dec. 14th, 2018) – Growing up, Leslie Calderon and her three older brothers dreamt about joining the military, but she was the only one who enlisted. Her journey took her from...

Veteran Eric Haynes remembers July 4, 2007 like it was yesterday. He was honorably discharged from the United States Army earlier that year and was looking forward to celebrating our nation’s...

Returning from service and transitioning to civilian life can be difficult for veterans, especially those dealing with wounds of war. It can also create challenges on the home front as spouses and...

Army aviator Claude Boushey knows a thing or two about being there for his fellow service member. He did it after surviving a helicopter crash in Iraq by returning to combat operations just 18...

When Army veteran Frank Sonntag first experienced an explosion while serving in Iraq, he did not know the extent of his injuries. He was serving in his second stint in the Army. This deployment,...

For veteran Joey Pierstorff, setting and besting new goals is part of life. He set his sights on joining the Army after he watched the attacks on Sept. 11. Less than a year later, he was an...

Eric DeLion has reached new heights since connecting with Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP), quite literally. The U.S. Marine Corps veteran joined other wounded warriors to scale Mount Whitney in...

Bill Geiger credits Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) with helping save his family. How the military police officer was handling post-traumatic stress and other issues from multiple deployments...

Severa Parrish could have a life of ‘what ifs.’ What if her military career had continued? What if she had been the Marine to die in a helicopter crash in Iraq? Instead, Severa found hope,...

Army veteran Bobby Woods was sure he was going to die in Afghanistan in August of 2010. A sniper round from 450 yards out pierced his forehead. The bullet was the first shot in a firefight, and it...

Mark Lalli’s life spun out of control in November 2007. The Army veteran’s helicopter malfunctioned in Northern Italy before crashing. He woke weeks later, 4,200 miles away in a hospital bed...

Michael Carrasquillo found himself transitioning to civilian life much earlier than expected. The Army veteran suffered five gunshot wounds during an ambush in Afghanistan in 2005, still early in...

In the military, “got your six” is a phrase to reference having someone’s back. It is referenced in movies and television shows, but for Antoinette Wallace, it took connecting with Wounded...

Talking to John Goubeaux is a lesson in positivity. John nearly died in 2011. He will forever have the scars from that day – the ones you can see, and the ones you can’t, but slightly detect...

“My life changed in ways I would never imagine,” Dan Smee said during a recent conversation. The Army veteran recounted his experiences as a combat medic in Iraq. “On a daily basis, if you...

Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) Soldier Ride® recently returned to Washington, DC for its annual events at the White House and Annapolis. This multi-day adaptive cycling event gave more than 70...

An accident during an Army deployment to Egypt caused Thomas Holcomb’s traumatic brain injury – and the invisible wound led to multiple strokes and seizures that impact his life even today....

The Quest to Rediscover Hope | “Coping with my husband’s post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury has been stressful on our marriage at times,” said Lisa Willis, wife and caregiver...

Independence...On Their Terms | As America celebrates Independence Day, wounded warriors Steve Bohn, Taniki Richard, and Sal Gonzalez sat down with the ladies of The Talk to share their compelling...

Organizations Like Wounded Warrior Project Help Jarrad Give Back Wounded warrior Jarrad Turner gives back to brothers in arms by connecting veterans with the military benefits they earned during...

Asking For Help Is Only The Beginning | June is PTSD Awareness Month. Wounded Warrior Project® National Service Director and wounded warrior John Roberts sits down with legendary Def Leppard...

PTSD Treatment Centers Part of Wounded Warrior Project Program “I plan to make sure they know about the benefits of Warrior Care Network.” As part of Joe’s recovery at Emory’s Veterans...

All-American Boy | Veteran and warrior Carl Quaney has never shied away from jobs that require toughness. As a Marine, he patrolled hostile combat zones in Iraq, where his life was compromised...

Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) recently held its 11th annual Courage Awards & Benefit Dinner®, presented by USAA® (United Services Automobile Association). The gala was a time to honor WWP's...

Something In Common | In the NPR series "Been There: Lessons From A Shared Experience," Army veteran and Wounded Warrior Project® teammate Jarrad Turner speaks to fellow veteran Cameron Cook...

Recently, the East Carolina University Pirates honored our nation's veterans on Military Appreciation Weekend. Wounded warrior Taniki Richard was invited to throw out the first pitch for a game...

Many quotes and clichés exist about the symbolic importance of a step: taking a step forward, a step in the right direction, stepping back to appreciate the bigger picture – the list goes on....

WWP Talk teammate and Army veteran Jorge Mateo says the power of the support line is its positive impact on not only the warrior, but also his or her support system. WWP Talk is a mental health...

Through WWP Talk, teammate and Army veteran Kevin Sosa helps warriors and families envision and lead lives where they are their best selves. "This program is the front line – the infantry – of...

Carried off the battlefield with injuries, many warriors’ service ends when their minds and bodies are rendered unfit – no longer a dependable asset for other service members who complete the...

Milestone Shows Growing Needs of Warriors Wounded Warrior Project® has grown to meet the evolving needs of warriors, adding programs to encourage warriors to connect with one another and their...