SGT Jerrald Jensen, United States Army

Sergeant Jerrald Jensen joined the Army in 2004, and after completing his training, he was stationed with the 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry at Ft. Carson, CO.

Soon thereafter, he deployed to Iraq. On August 22, 2007, his vehicle was hit by an EFP, ramming metal through his knee and face. He pulled his vehicle off the road, engaged the enemy, and was shot. Severely wounded, he was evacuated. He was so deformed that his wife didn’t recognize him, and his recovery was long and painful. He was kept in an induced coma for ten weeks, and his prognosis was not good—the presiding physician predicted he would be a vegetable.

In 2008, following a slate of reconstructive surgeries, Jensen reported that he wanted to go back into combat. His commanding officer approved his request, and he reported wearing a feeding tube for training. Six months later, he was redeployed to Afghanistan. In a fall, he re-broke the titanium Implants in his jaw and, on his mid-tour return home, he went back into the Warrior Transition Unit (WTU).

One night in October 2011, Jensen went into a civilian hospital and was told that a CAT scan had revealed he needed an immediate procedure (within 72 hours). Failure to intercede might have led to permanent paralysis. The WTU Medical staff said scheduling the procedure would take six weeks. His wife called and screamed at the staff. The staff averred that she was on drugs and unstable and reprimanded Jensen for his inability to control his wife.

The Army tried to kick this soldier to the curb. "They fail to realize what guys are going through because none of them has ever set foot in another country," said Matt Bessler, a nine-tour retired Special Forces sergeant with three bronze stars who were in the WTU with Jensen for PTSD. "They should be helping. I don't think they get it.”

Through the efforts of USJAG, SGT Jenssen was medically retired with full benefits.