The mission of the Wounded Warrior Project is to honor and empower wounded soldiers. Over 40,000 service members have been injured in the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is further estimated that over 300,000 suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression. By listening to and surveying the warrior population, WWP has worked diligently to respond to PTSD and other injuries of this conflict like traumatic brain injury (TBI).

I’ve had a fairly extensive military career in my short life, having served two deployments to Iraq, and one to Afghanistan. I have witnessed firsthand the horrors and atrocities of war. I have seen my friends and fellow countrymen and soldiers suffer horrible injuries. Some of the injuries were life altering and some were life ending. Having seen what I’ve seen, and living with the questions of what happens to those who survive, I’ve made a conscious decision to get involved and support them the only way I really know how, by climbing in their honor.

I have taken on the challenge of climbing each of the tallest peaks on each of the continents in the world, also known as the Seven Summits. If successful, I will be the only active duty member of the United States military to do so. I’d like to do it as a funds and awareness-raising campaign for the Wounded Warrior Project.

For more information about the Wounded Warrior Project, visit their website at www.woundedwarriorproject.org.