Amputee soldier returns to war

Associated Press

ASHOQEH, Afghanistan

When a bomb exploded under Dan Luckett’s Army humvee in Iraq two years ago — blowing off one of his legs and part of his foot — the first thing he thought was: “That’s it. You’re done. No more Army for you.”

But two years later, the 27-year-old Norcross, Ga., native is back on duty — a double-amputee fighting on the front lines of America’s Afghan surge in one of the most dangerous parts of this volatile country.

Luckett’s remarkable recovery can be attributed in part to dogged self- determination. But technological advances have been crucial: Artificial limbs today are so effective, some war-wounded such as Luckett not only are able to do intensive sports such as snow skiing, they can return to active duty as fully operational soldiers. The Pentagon says 41 American amputee veterans are serving in combat zones worldwide.

Luckett was a young platoon leader on his first tour in Iraq when an explosively formed penetrator — a bomb that hurls an armor-piercing lump of molten copper — ripped through his vehicle on a Baghdad street on Mother’s Day 2008.

His humvee cabin instantly filled with heavy, gray smoke. Luckett felt an excruciating pain and a “liquid” — his blood — pouring out of his legs. He looked down and saw a shocking sight: his own left foot sheared off above the ankle and his right boot a bloody mangle of flesh and dust.

He was evacuated to a Baghdad emergency room, flown to Germany, and six days after the blast, he was back in the U.S.

As his plane touched down at Andrews Air Force Base, he made a determined decision. He was going to rejoin the 101st Airborne Division any way he could.

By February 2009, he had progressed so far, he could run a mile in eight minutes.

He rejoined his unit at Fort Campbell, Ky., and told his battalion commander he wanted to return to duty “only if I could be an asset, not a liability,” he recalled.

Months later, he passed a physical fitness test to attain the Expert Infantryman’s Badge. It required running 12 miles in under three hours with a 35-pound backpack.

The Army promoted him to captain, and in May, he deployed to Afghanistan.