Sometimes it not what you do but what you endure that makes you tough. One man in the Special Forces is the best example of what it means to be truly a survivor. He lost his leg to a roadside IED and has made an amazing comeback.
Now he is a parachute jumpmaster.
The graduation ceremony in November was notable not only for the 70 graduates from the Special Forces 3rd Group who received their jumpmaster certificates. It was also notable for the Sergeant First Class who at 33 walked with a slight limp, becoming the first amputee to graduate from any Army Jumpmaster course in history.
John ?Mikey? Fairfax lost his leg in combat July 30th 2005, and his fight to be allowed back into active duty, and to be one of the boys, has dominated his life. An IED exploded under the vehicle he was righting in Oruzgan province in Afghanistan, and caused him to lose his leg.
He gradually worked his butt off to get back, and recovered at Walter Reed hospital. He eventually chose a hard decision, remain in pain, or amputate the leg and get back to business.
?I wanted to get back to being a soldier, being a Green Beret. I?ve been in the Army since I was 17 years old and that?s what I love to do.? Said Sergeant Fairfax.
