Operation TBI Freedom: Success Stories
Meet Brad
During his two tours of duty in Iraq, Brad Keith was exposed to multiple blasts, as well as being involved in a serious accident. While transporting vehicles from Kuwait one night, Brad’s vehicle was struck by a 14-ton gravel truck on the highway. “I had a lot of injuries from that,” he recalled. “All the gear I was wearing probably saved my life.” After returning home, he began having problems concentrating, remembering things and controlling his anger, and he found it difficult to communicate with other people. Read more!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Meet Ed
The first IED attack that Ed Nevarez experienced in Iraq changed his life forever. “It’s something that I’ll never forget,” he said. After the attack, Ed felt groggy, his head hurt, his stomach was churning and loud noises bothered him. He and his comrades were in the middle of a mission though, so he didn’t see a doctor until three days later. When he did, they thought he had a concussion and asked him to perform a memory test. Ed didn’t pass and was told he couldn’t go out on any missions until he did. Read more!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Meet Mualia
Mualia Salamo has been through a lot in his 22 years in the Army. He’s served tours of duty in both the Gulf War and the Iraq War, and he’s survived numerous injuries and blasts, including a helicopter crash landing and a mortar exploding right behind where he was unloading a truck. As time went on, Mualia began experiencing more and more health problems, including blackouts, memory loss, black spots in his vision, anger management issues, flashbacks and nightmares. Read more!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Meet Reid
Reid Monteith has many stories he can tell you about his experiences in the military, having served in first the Navy and then the Army. He’s served six tours of duty over his military career in the Gulf War and the Iraq War, including being part of a scuba team for the Navy. Reid can recall the names of villages he traveled to in Iraq and point out on a map where he was stationed each tour; he even remembers some of the local food they bought from villagers. Read more!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Meet Nathan R.
Nathan vividly remembers the roadside IED explosions that hit his vehicle and knocked him out while travelling with members of his platoon in Iraq. After the attack, he went back to his work as an Army medic, but he began noticing that he wasn’t his usual self anymore. “I was really irritable and would get angry for no reason,” Nathan recalled, “and I was having memory problems that were affecting my work. I was forgetting steps in routine medical procedures.” Nathan was diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and referred to Operation TBI Freedom... Read more!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Meet Ray
If you ask Ray Littlefield about his combat experience, his answer will surprise and delight you. “Oh, you are really asking about Dawn and me.” Dawn is Ray’s wife of 12 years, and his military service and his relationship with Dawn unfold together. Read more!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Meet Jason
Experiences of loss, recovery and unexpected benefits often weave into the story of veterans with traumatic brain injury. Jason Palmer’s life has a mix of all three. Jason was in Iraq for a span of eight months. During that time he was exposed to blast injuries, but the IED explosion he remembers most sent the vehicle he was riding in up in the air. Everyone was ejected, and he was told later that he pulled another soldier to safety. He doesn’t remember any of the events of that day. Read more!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Meet Jose
Jose Olivero’s face lights up when he talks about the men he served with in Iraq. The 31 year old advanced rapidly through his 20s to the position of Squad Leader during his three tours in Iraq, reaching the rank of Staff Sergeant. “We were like a family, and that’s the way it has to be if you expect others to risk their lives for you. Everyone needs to know you are willing to do the same. My men knew I would not let anything happen to them. That’s what I miss the most, my men.” Read more!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Meet Patrick
When you see Patrick playing with sons Michael and Mason, you’d never know that he’d spent time fighting in Iraq. Patrick is working hard to return to a normal life after intense fighting in Iraq. A Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) incident increased his challenges. Patrick fell, lost consciousness and lapsed into a coma for 10 days. Read more!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Meet Joel
Three years ago, Joel Hunt became a solider and went to Iraq soon after completing basic training. He made powerful friendships, survived fierce combat, and sustained blast injuries to his brain. He didn’t see the signs of any problems after his first tour, or his second tour, and he did not want to see it after his third tour. But exposure to blast injuries finally took its toll. Read more!
______________________________________________________________________________________
Meet Nathan
Nathan grew up in historic Jonesborough, Tennessee. He knew his wife, Sarah, while still in grade school and they have a one-year-old daughter, Natalie. Nathan never made it to Iraq. He did so well in training at Fort Carson, in Colorado, and he was hoping one day to be an instructor. The day before graduation, he took a jab to the face that resulted in a traumatic brain injury. Read more!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Meet Kruger
Kruger Jorden has no regrets at all on how he became a survivor of brain injury. In fact, he feels that his injuries represent the very reason he chose to serve our country in the first place. While he was in the midst of intense combat and even now, he feels his sacrifice not only protected his friends and comrades in combat, but protected the futures of his wife Karyl-lynn, adopted daughter Valcry, his nieces, and nephews. Read more!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Meet Carmen
Susie eagerly follows Carmen Sourell-Claxton across the vet’s exam room, showing off the progress she’s made since her surgery at the Alameda East Veterinary Hospital. Her hind legs are wobbly, especially on the tile floor, but the little dachshund doesn’t seem to mind. “Susie is making a miraculous recovery given her situation coming in,” Dr. Kevin McAbee notes. Carmen beams at the good news. Read more!