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On September 19, 2010 (15 years ago today), my life changed forever.
That night in Kandahar, Afghanistan, I was on patrol as a bomb technician. My job was to clear the path of explosives so my brothers could follow safely. It was a duty I accepted proudly.
That was the night I found my last bomb—by stepping on it.
The explosion took both of my legs and a finger. I remember the teeth-rattling blast and then…nothing. When I woke up in Walter Reed, I looked down to see where my legs should have been but weren’t.
I know why I’m alive today, though. My fellow soldiers ran toward the explosion. They refused to leave me behind.
Every year, I mark today as my Alive Day—not just as the anniversary of the night I was nearly killed, but as the reminder that sacrifice, teamwork, and courage are the only way to defend freedom.
I carry the scars of that night with me every single day. But I also carry the promise I made when I woke up in that hospital bed: the greatest service I give to America will never be behind me.
That’s why I serve in Congress today. That’s why I fight to secure our border, defend our freedoms, and protect the America my children—and yours—will inherit.
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