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Meet a Green Beret named Nick Lavery. After losing his leg during a firefight in Afghanistan…he refused to be medically discharged.
This man now trains future Green Berets as a tactical combat instructor at Fort Bragg.
Right out of college, Nick joined the Army Special Forces.
His team was deployed to Wardak, Afghanistan which was a known dangerous hotspot for fighting.
Injury #1:
His first injury happened during a firefight when Lavery took shrapnel to the shoulder from a rocket-propelled grenade. According to Lavery, the grenade left a lemon-sized hole in his shoulderyet he refused to be evacuated. Nope, he simply plugged the hole with gauze and was eventually sent to Bagram Air Base to be treated for his wounds.
Injury #2:
Lavery was riding in a truck when another truck in his unit was hit by a roadside bomb. Despite the fact that enemies were firing at the truck, Lavery ran to the aid of his buddies. He quickly put-down two of the shooters and chased a third that tried to flee. While chasing the third shooter, he was hit by a bullet.
The bullet struck him the face…but he knew his teammates were in trouble, Lavery ran to the truck that was hit.
Seeing that the truck was on fire, Lavery thought the members of his unit were dead but he searched anyways. To his surprise, he found his Captain in the wreckage of the IED…and Captain Nieman was awake. Others in the truck were blown out of the vehicle, but they also survived the bombing. Nieman's legs were severely mutilated and he had a severed artery in his arm. As this was happening, ammunition in the truck started going off because of the heat from the fire…yet Lavery found a way and rescued the Captain. Unfortunately, Captain Nieman lost the lower half of his right leg from the injuries but he credits Nick Lavery with saving his life.
At 6-feet 6-inches tall and a solid 270 lbs. with all his gear on, good ol' Lavery was the only person big enough and strong enough to get the injured Captain out of the burning truck.
Injury #3 :
When a young soldier froze after an Afghan police officer opened fire with a machine gun, Lavery put himself between the teenage soldier and the shooter. Lavery tackled the young soldier and dragged him behind a truck for cover.
At this time, Lavery was shot in the legs several times and his femoral artery was severed. Lavery knew he would be dead in minutes if he didn't stop the bleeding, so he grabbed a tourniquet and tied himself off. Some of Lavery's team was killed, including the person that had taken over for the injured Captain Nieman. Eventually, about an hour after the attack, a helicopter arrived and Lavery was transported for medical care.
Staff Sergeant Nick Lavery not only trains future Green Berets at Fort Bragg…he plans to return to combat in Afghanistan.
"I would be on the next plane out. Someone has to do the job, and I take enormous pride in it."
Those are the actions of a U.S. Army Green Beret named Nick Lavery.
This man now trains future Green Berets as a tactical combat instructor at Fort Bragg.
Right out of college, Nick joined the Army Special Forces.
His team was deployed to Wardak, Afghanistan which was a known dangerous hotspot for fighting.
Injury #1:
His first injury happened during a firefight when Lavery took shrapnel to the shoulder from a rocket-propelled grenade. According to Lavery, the grenade left a lemon-sized hole in his shoulderyet he refused to be evacuated. Nope, he simply plugged the hole with gauze and was eventually sent to Bagram Air Base to be treated for his wounds.
Injury #2:
Lavery was riding in a truck when another truck in his unit was hit by a roadside bomb. Despite the fact that enemies were firing at the truck, Lavery ran to the aid of his buddies. He quickly put-down two of the shooters and chased a third that tried to flee. While chasing the third shooter, he was hit by a bullet.
The bullet struck him the face…but he knew his teammates were in trouble, Lavery ran to the truck that was hit.
Seeing that the truck was on fire, Lavery thought the members of his unit were dead but he searched anyways. To his surprise, he found his Captain in the wreckage of the IED…and Captain Nieman was awake. Others in the truck were blown out of the vehicle, but they also survived the bombing. Nieman's legs were severely mutilated and he had a severed artery in his arm. As this was happening, ammunition in the truck started going off because of the heat from the fire…yet Lavery found a way and rescued the Captain. Unfortunately, Captain Nieman lost the lower half of his right leg from the injuries but he credits Nick Lavery with saving his life.
At 6-feet 6-inches tall and a solid 270 lbs. with all his gear on, good ol' Lavery was the only person big enough and strong enough to get the injured Captain out of the burning truck.
Injury #3 :
When a young soldier froze after an Afghan police officer opened fire with a machine gun, Lavery put himself between the teenage soldier and the shooter. Lavery tackled the young soldier and dragged him behind a truck for cover.
At this time, Lavery was shot in the legs several times and his femoral artery was severed. Lavery knew he would be dead in minutes if he didn't stop the bleeding, so he grabbed a tourniquet and tied himself off. Some of Lavery's team was killed, including the person that had taken over for the injured Captain Nieman. Eventually, about an hour after the attack, a helicopter arrived and Lavery was transported for medical care.
Staff Sergeant Nick Lavery not only trains future Green Berets at Fort Bragg…he plans to return to combat in Afghanistan.
"I would be on the next plane out. Someone has to do the job, and I take enormous pride in it."
Those are the actions of a U.S. Army Green Beret named Nick Lavery.
