SSgt. Samantha Hargrove, USAF, Iraq, Wounded Warrior
Samantha Hargrove joined the U.S. Air Force at the urging of her brother. After training, she soon specialized in combat communications. Hargrove was serving in South Korea when the Al Qaeda terrorist attacks struck our nation on September 11, 2001. Just 18 months later, she was in Iraq. After helping to set up a major communications center near Talil, an explosion caused a traumatic brain injury that would permanently impact her. In this edition of Veterans Chronicles, Hargrove tells us about her service in Korea and Iraq. She also describes what happened during the explosion that wounded her. Hargrove then explains how she got much worse before she got better, why she was medically retired, the moment she knew she had to get help, and how programs through Wounded Warrior Project set her on the road to recovery. Finally, Hargrove shares how she is helping other wounded warriors today.