Born and raised in Tuscaloosa, Alabama Chad decided to stay and graduate college in his hometown at the University of Alabama. While attending classes during the day, he worked the midnight shift at the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office as a Deputy Sheriff and did a short stint at the United States Secret Service office in Birmingham, AL. In the fall of 1999 he decided to enlist in the United States Army as an Airborne Ranger, after completing basic training and airborne school he arrived at the Ranger Regiment where he began a grueling month long selection process that has an attrition rate of 70%. His leadership skills and attitude earned him the honor graduate award for his class. He was then assigned to the elite 3rd Ranger battalion where he served with distinction.
Among his many awards and decorations are a Bronze Star with Valor and Oak Leaf Cluster (Two Bronze Stars), Purple Heart with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters (Three Purple Hearts), Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal with Valor, Army Commendation Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters (5 ARCOMS) , Ranger Tab, Combat Infantryman's Badge, Expert Infantryman's Badge, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault.
During his six deployments overseas Captain Fleming has been wounded in combat on three separate occasions, most recently was in October of 2005. He has undergone 23+ surgeries, which would later result in a trans-tibial amputation of his left leg.
While most would assume this type of injury would conclude ones military service, this is far from the path Captain Fleming has taken. He has deployed not once but twice since his injuries and both times he chose to go back to the same unstable area of Iraq that cost him his leg.
Chad has competed and finished 5K runs, Triathlons, a 360 mile bike ride from San Antonio to Dallas, Texas, San Francisco to Los Angeles (460 miles), he ran the New York City Marathon in November of 2009, and most recently completed The Army 10 miler in Washington, DC.
He has also made numerous appearances as a motivational speaker for such organizations as the 2010 United States Olympic Hockey Team, The Ohio State Buckeyes Football Team, Texas Tech Football, Auburn University, All-American Lacrosse, Humana Insurance, Under Armour and several Fortune 500 companies.
Captain Fleming recently retired from active duty but he still remains a vital part of the 75th Ranger Regiment.
Capt. Ivan Castro sustained life-threatening injuries while serving as a First Lieutenant with the 82nd Airborne Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom, September 2, 2006.
He received numerous injuries to include the loss of his right eye and the permanent loss of vision in his left eye when he was struck with shrapnel from a mortar attack.
Four years after his injury, Castro's determination, strength and motivation is displayed as he became the first blind graduate of the Maneuver Captain's Career Course at Fort Benning, GA.
Originally from Hoboken, N.J., he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1988. He has participated in Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, numerous deployments to South America, and peace keeping operations in Kosovo, Albania, and Bosnia.
Castro's awards and decorations include the Valorous Unit Award, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Army Superior Unit Award, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal(with Oak Leaf Cluster), Army Commendation Medal (with Silver Oak Leaf Cluster), Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal (with two Oak Leaf Cluster), Combat Infantry Badge with one star, Expert Infantry Badge, Drill Sergeant Identification Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Military Freefall Parachutist Badge, Colombian Jumpmaster Badge, Dutch Parachutist Badge, German Parachutist Badge, Ranger and Special Forces Tabs.
In the past 4 years, Castro has completed 14 marathons, two triathlons, one 50-mile ultra marathon, a 400 mile bike ride across Europe and a climb up to Gray's Peak (elevation of 14, 270 feet).
CPT Castro is currently serving as the Headquarters and Headquarters Company Commander at the Special Operations Recruiting Battalion. Aside from his current job, he serves as a mentor for injured service members and their families and continues to advocate for training, education and employment for person's with disabilities.
Marcus Luttrell joined the U.S. Navy in March 1999 and became a combat-trained SEAL in January 2002. After serving in Iraq for two years, he was deployed to Afghanistan in the spring of 2005. As a SEAL, Luttrell was trained in weapons, demolition and unarmed combat. He also served as Platoon medic.
In the spring of 2007, Petty Officer 1st Class Luttrell retired. He was awarded the Navy Cross for combat heroism in 2006 by President George W. Bush.
Marcus Luttrell's 2007 #1 New York Times best-selling book, Lone Survivor, tells the harrowing story of four Navy SEALs who journeyed into the mountainous border of Afghanistan and Pakistan on Operation Redwing. An unparalleled motivational story of survival, the book is also a moving tribute to the friends and teammates who did not make it off the mountain. A powerful testament to the courage, integrity, patriotism and community that forged these American heroes, Lone Survivor is an incredible account of teamwork, fortitude and modern warfare.
Operation Redwing's mission was to gather intelligence as a Taliban leader with ties to Osama bin Laden. The team's position was revealed to the Taliban by several goat herders. A large Taliban force ambushed the four-man team on a remote ridge, Luttrell and his teammates valiantly fought for hours, displaying characteristic SEAL determination and bravery, refusing to retreat from the fight despite being heavily outnumbered. Hours later, after Luttrell had watched all three friends die and had literally been blown off the mountain by an RPG, a rescue helicopter carrying 16 special operation forces was shot down, killing all on board (it is the single largest loss of life in a day in SEALs history).
His face shredded, nose broken, rotator cuff torn, three vertebrae cracked, his body riddled with shrapnel and unable to stand, Luttrell began to crawl through mountains in search of shelter. Help arrived by way of the Afghan villagers of Sabray. They took Luttrell in, cleaned up his wounds and, honoring their tribe's custom, protected him from the Taliban at the risk of their own lives. As the Taliban circled the village and the threats intensified, the village elder sought help from the nearest Marine outpost. Five nights after the nightmare began, Luttrell was rescued.
In this emotionally raw account, Luttrell honors the memories of all those who died, sharing with us the incredible bravery, courage and honor of these extraordinary warriors. He holds their lives up as examples of this guiding philosophy of the SEALs:
"I will never quit. I persevere and thrive on adversity. My Nation expects me to be physically harder and mentally stronger than my enemies. If knocked down, I will get back up, every time. I will draw on every remaining ounce of strength to protect my teammates and accomplish our mission. I am never out of the fight."
Marcus and his wife, Melanie, reside near Houston, Texas. He now travels the country sharing the story of Operation Redwing and his time as a Navy SEAL.