Amputee Refuses To Give Up Army Career

Fayetteville (NC) Observer ^ | September 25, 2004 | Justin Willett

[Former Military Chick]

Staff Sgt. Daniel Metzdorf wasn't willing to give up his Army career just because he only has one leg.

The 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper had his right leg amputated above the knee in January after being injured in a homemade bomb blast near Baghdad.

Metzdorf, 27, underwent rehabilitation at Walter Reed Army Medical Center this spring and looked forward to returning to his unit, Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment.

This summer, however, the Army deemed him unfit for duty.

Metzdorf appealed twice and on Friday learned that he would be allowed to stay in the Army and with his unit.

"I hope guys can learn from my situation, and I feel very grateful that I can stay with this organization," Metzdorf said.

"I'm pretty pumped up about it."

Lt. Col. Theopia A. Deas, chief of the operations division for the U.S. Army Physical Disability Agency, signed Metzdorf's request for continuance on active duty, which allows him to remain in the Army until he completes 20 years service.

Patrolling highway

Metzdorf had been in Iraq 10 days when, on the evening of Jan. 27, he and about a half-dozen other soldiers were patrolling highways near Baghdad, looking for homemade bombs.

Unfortunately, they found what they were looking for - a rigged artillery shell hidden in a pile of trash.

Metzdorf and Sgt. Robert Jepsen left their armored Humvees to inspect the pile when the bomb went off.

The blast killed 2nd Lt. Luke James, 24; Sgt. Cory Mracek, 26; and Staff Sgt. Lester Kinney II, 27.

Metzdorf's right leg was badly injured. Jepsen was pierced with shrapnel, and Pfc. Jamie O'Connell received minor injuries.

Metzdorf was taken to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington after his amputation and began rehabilitation.

He harbored no bitterness about his injury and began his recovery with a smile on his face. He was fitted for an $85,000 computerized prosthetic leg this spring.

Metzdorf returned to Fort Bragg in April to greet members of his unit as they returned from Iraq. He continued to work toward recovery but was told at the end of July that he was unfit for duty.

He could have accepted the decision and received $2,300 to $2,400 a month for the rest of his life. Instead, he chose a third and final appeal.

A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday at Walter Reed.

Metzdorf knows that he is "unfit" according to the strict definition - he obviously can't jump from airplanes anymore - but he considers himself a valuable soldier with combat experience and nine years of service.

"I felt my experience outweighed my limitations," Metzdorf said. "You can't buy this experience; you can't train this experience.

"This is a time where we have a lot of young soldiers, and they are going right into combat, and they need good leadership. I wanted to give back to them."

His wife, Teresa, said her husband wanted to stay in the Army because of his value as a soldier.

"He doesn't want to be a charity case," she said. "He wanted to be considered on his record."

Soldier's allies

Metzdorf had people in his corner - from the most junior member of Bravo Company to Maj. Gen. Bill Caldwell, the commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, he said.

He even had the backing of the sergeant major of the Army, Sgt. Maj. Kenneth Preston, who he met in May at a National Military Family Association dinner in Washington.

Metzdorf said he learned of the decision at 12:30 p.m., when he received a call from Maj. Tom Tosto, the 3rd Brigade surgeon. He said Tosto has been an advocate for his case since they met a few months ago.

Metzdorf said Tosto told him "the only thing I've got to do for him is the first time I run, I've got to run with him."

Teresa Metzdorf said her husband never gave up on himself.

"He would go online at night and look up regulations and protocol for the military," she said.

"When they told him he was unfit, he made phone calls and asked people to write letters for him. He spent day after day on this."

Metzdorf is unsure when he will be able to get back to work.

"At first, I'm probably going to stay in my company for a couple months and still be going through rehab and stuff like that," he said.

After he is able to resume physical training, his commanders will have to decide where to put him.

Metzdorf said some options are to place him with the battalion staff or put him in charge of a support and transportation battalion.

"Stuff like that they have just thrown around," he said. "It's all up to my unit on what they want to do with me."

The first thing Metzdorf must do is re-enlist. His Army commitment expires Dec. 2, and he had to get a waiver to be allowed to re-enlist.

In the meantime, Metzdorf is trying to find the perfect socket for his prosthetic leg - one that will allow him to get back up to speed.

Other than an infection in April, his recovery has been coming along nicely. He never quit thinking about his future in the Army.

"I would like to deploy again," Metzdorf said.

"There's still a job to do. By wanting to return to active duty, I have to accept that there would be that call one day.

"I'm staying in."

[usmcobra]

I don't think so, This one is using a cane so far.

[The Real Deal]

This is one brave young man. I am very proud of him and what he has done. I give him a big courage BUMP!

[Titan Magroyne]

Hoo-ah! Now THAT is a man! (take note, Poodle Kerry)

That kind of commitment to one's troops... it boggles the mind.

[LakeLady]

What an amazing story. Come on Rather, Colmes and the rest of you...why don't you air a true story?

[DTogo]

This guy needs to be on every FoxNews show and campaign WITH the President to counter all the BS and negativity from the Kerry-Kennedy campaign of self-flagellation and depression.

[SilentServiceCPOWife]

Oh, I didn't see that.

His story is inspirational also and he's another American that we can proud of.

[Mo1]

What a wonderful story .. thanks for the ping Tonk

[Former Military Chick]

**update hero ping**

I noticed a lot of wonderful comments on this fine soldier that I did a search and found a photo, interview and several other articles regarding his injury in Iraq through today. Hope you enjoy them as well.

Then-Maj. Andrew Lourake talks with Army Staff Sgt. Daniel Metzdorf (center) and Army Sgt. Maurice Craft about their progress learning to use their prosthetic legs during physical therapy. Sergeant Metzdorf, an airborne infantryman, lost his leg when his fire team was ambushed while on patrol in Iraq.

International Amputee refuses to give up Army career Antibiotic Beads Helping Wounded Soldiers

News you will not hear from Iraq

Heroes Credit Medics with Saving Their Lives

Interview with Staff Sergeants Daniel Metzdorf

[Stonedog]

Thanks for the ping and the reading material. This man is a true American hero.

[Former Military Chick]

I agree it did not get coverage when it happened and only in the military communities he resided.

Check post #28, I I found a photo and several other articles.

This is one of the wonderful things about FR, we can make it news, and, perhaps this fine soldier will stumble across all the thoughtful posts. Thank you Jim Robinson for giving us this avenue.

[Citizen Tom Paine]

Disability is a state of mind. That is a quote from one of my CO's in the Coast Guard who walked with a limp because of polio. He could have had a disability discharge, but he stayed in and became a four-striper. I also knew of a pilot who had an artificial leg. More power to Staff Sgt. Metzdorf. My hat is off to him.

[The Mayor]

Bump!

[SilentServiceCPOWife]

Thanks for the picture and info.

This kind of story makes me so proud to be an American.

[Former Military Chick]

You are most welcome. As most here say, there is little good news in the MSM, if this is the only other place to get it .. then I say post -- we deserve to hear about this fine men and women.

[marmar]

This is a true Patriotic American, and I am humbled by his service to country............This is the type of human that can make a difference in this world we live in. God Bless him and all the Warriors......

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

May 14, 2004

 

Warriors' women stand by their men

by Michael J. Minardi
Medical Hold Company

....Teresa Metzdorf said she would like the news services to report how many of the war's wounded are amputees. Walter Reed has treated approximately 100 amputees since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and several others from Operation Enduring Freedom.

"I want people to know there are wounded Soldiers and there

Teresa Metzdorf talks with her husband Daniel as he exercises his abdominal muscles in the Physical Therapy Clinic.

is an aftereffect. This is for the rest of his life," she said referring to her husband's amputation of his right leg in Iraq. "You don't think of 'wounded' as amputees. Nobody talks about it."

Staff Sgt. Daniel T. Metzdorf, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment from Fort Bragg, N.C., was wounded Jan. 27 southwest of Baghdad when he and his men stopped to investigate a pile of trash on the supply route, Highway 1. The enigma of the tragedy is that three team members were killed, Dan's leg was ripped off, and another Soldier was peppered with shrapnel. They think the IED under the trash was an artillery shell that was remotely detonated when Metzdorf and his team approached.

Everything happened rapidly for Metzdorf. Since his leg was already severed, he immediately called Teresa from the 28th Combat Support Hospital in Baghdad.

"'Hi Honey, I lost my leg,' Dan said, and then the phone connection went dead," Teresa recalled. "I started to hyperventilate, and thought 'What do I do now?'

"I called my mother, but I was so upset I couldn't speak," Teresa said. Her brother had answered the phone but didn't recognize her voice. She finally was able to tell the bad news and ask her mother, who also lived in Fayetteville, N.C., to come over. "I had an hour to cry before my mom arrived," Teresa confessed.

Teresa was worried when Dan went to Afghanistan, but she was very uneasy about him going to Iraq. "It was different. I had a real bad feeling."

As well as Dan losing 50 pounds (20 pounds was his leg), the couple had to buy a new vehicle and adapt their house. They traded in Dan's stick-shift sports car for a specially-modified pickup truck. "It was the only vehicle Dan could fit in," Teresa said with a smile. "We also had to install bars for the shower and low-pile carpet throughout the house."

The 2/505th PIR is scheduled to return to Bragg soon and they have asked Metzdorf to walk with his unit from the plane to the hangar when they arrive. Dan has been training for the last three months for that challenge. He said it means a lot to him to be able to do that. He also wants to remain in the Army.

"Dan thinks he has a lot to offer the Army," Teresa said. "Just because this happened to him doesn't make him stop being a Soldier.

"I support him," she added. "It's going to be good for him."

~*~

Dear American free reporters, meet your good neighbors.

[JrAsparagus]

Great story. A true HERO!!

I love that he did not just say I want to stay with my brothers, but he fought to and triumphed. Inspirational.

[BykrBayb]

Even in civies, soldiers just have a certain look about them. I used to think I had a thing for guys in uniform, but no, it goes deeper. Soldiers have something that transcends the uniform, and all other superficial things. There's a lot to be said for military bearing. I know they don't master it just so I'll have something good to look at, but sometimes... I think they do.

[Tailback]

If the Army let General Franks stay with one leg, then they can let a SSG stay.

[Troublemaker]

Thank you for posting this great story.