Meet this year’s recipient

Motivated by the 9/11 attacks, Aaron Tieffel enlisted in the Army as an Infantryman.

On August 23, 2007, on his first combat deployment, PFC Aaron Tieffel was on a mission to look for possible improvised explosive devices (IED) in Riyahd, Iraq with the 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, when his vehicle was struck by an IED (improvised explosive device), flipping the vehicle over causing him to fall out. The blast resulted in a right below-knee amputation, left leg limb salvage, a spinal cord injury, Open Book Pelvic fracture, and other internal injuries. Once back in the United States, Aaron had multiple surgeries and a long recovery.

Now medically retired, Aaron enjoys spending time with his fiancée, Myca, and their son, Joshua. He works as a postal clerk and is a member of the Warrior Brotherhood Motorcycle Club, an organization that gives to Veterans in need. In his former non-adapted home, he was unable to use a wheelchair and relied on crutches to access the home.

A specially adapted custom HFOT home mitigated these daily obstacles for Aaron. He’s looking forward to expanding their family and is grateful to finally have a safe space to host friends and family.

Originally from Illinois, Aaron chose to remain in his home state to stay close to his family.

Aaron would like to thank HFOT donors and supporters for their commitment to Veterans like himself. “This gift will give me freedom. Thank you for being the most caring and compassionate people.”

Army Sergeant Chase Matthews was deployed to Iraq in March 2007 when he lost both of his legs as a result of an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion. SGT Matthews, a 19K tanker with the 2-123 Armor Kentucky Army National Guard, was driving an up-armored HMMWV in the vicinity of Talil Airbase, Iraq, when an IED detonated directly beneath the vehicle.

Critically wounded, Chase tried to evacuate the vehicle but was unable to do so. After being pulled to safety by his commander, and during an ambush, SGT Matthews was airlifted to a field hospital. Later transferred to Landstuhl, Germany and eventually to Walter Reed, Chase began treatment for his injuries which in addition to his bilateral amputations included severe wrist and forearm injuries on his left side as well as inhalation burns.

Chase and his wife Jennifer were our first Swings for Soldiers honorees, and remain an integral part of our “Swings Family”! Chase enjoys hunting, fishing, and, since taking his first golf swings in this event, he’s now a golfer!

Army Specialist Brett Bondurant was five months into his first deployment when he lost his right leg above the knee and his left leg below the knee in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in Southwest Kandahar Province, Afghanistan on Sept. 28, 2011. Acting as the minesweeper while clearing a compound of suspected IEDs, SPC Bondurant had just stepped into a darkened room…his second step triggered the pressure plate of an IED; the blast traumatically amputating his right leg above the knee and his left leg below the knee. He also sustained severe injuries to both arms.

Brett grew up in Lawrenceburg, Indiana and married his High School sweetheart, London. He enjoys sports, fishing, motorcycles, wheelchair basketball, and, since picking up the game through Swings for Soldiers, is now an avid golfer! Brett and London now have two daughters and one son. In 2019, Brett was elected Council-At-Large for the city of Lawrenceburg, Indiana.

Bryan Chambers watched the September 11 terrorist attacks live on television when he was a teenager. Watching the terror unfold made Bryan want to do something to protect his country and loved ones. He felt the best way to do this was by joining the Marines. He enlisted as a light armored vehicle crewman with the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, going on his first tour to Iraq in 2006.

On Feb. 28, 2007, during this first deployment, Lance Corporal Chambers was driving the lead vehicle in his platoon when he rolled over an improvised explosive device (IED), flipping the vehicle. LCpl Chambers lost his right leg, sustained shrapnel injuries throughout his body, and a traumatic brain injury (TBI). In the year following his injury, Bryan underwent over 70 surgeries.

Today, Bryan and his wife Rhyann are proud parents to their twins, Gavin and Riley, and run a small farm at their home in Attica, Indiana.

Marine Lance Corporal John Curtin joined the Marines at the age of 19 because he felt a sense of duty and wanted to protect his family. On Feb. 15, 2011, a month into his first deployment, LCpl Curtin, an Infantryman, was completing an After Action Review in a compound with the 3rd Platoon, Echo Company, 2/8 Marines, in Sangin Valley, Afghanistan, when his foot triggered a pressure plate improvised explosive device (IED). The blast resulted in the loss of both his legs and severe damage to his right forearm.

When LCpl Curtin first arrived back stateside he had surgeries every other day for about three weeks. He became an outpatient at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in May 2011, where he began physical therapy. It was then that he met his wife Brittany, who was volunteering at the hospital with the Red Cross. The two formed a friendship first and began dating after John asked her to the Marine Corps Ball. They got married in November 2015 and now have two daughters, Ashlyn and Lillian.

John hasn’t let his injuries stop him from pursing his goals. He recently obtained his welding degree and has his own shop in his home. He also plays sled hockey for Nashville’s Sled Predators and made the US Developmental Sled Hockey Team as a defenseman.

On June 30, 2005, Marine Corporal Kevin Blanchard, a combat engineer, was on patrol in northwest Iraq with the 4th Combat Engineer Battalion, 4th Marine Division, when his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device (IED). There were four other Marines in the vehicle, but Cpl Blanchard was the most severely injured, losing his left leg and sustaining severe damage to his right. Cpl Blanchard says the only reason he survived was because there was Navy Corpsman riding with him.

Cpl Blanchard spent the following 13 months undergoing 30 surgeries at Walter Reed Medical Center. He was in a wheelchair for eight months and battled a bone infection in his right leg that nearly caused it to be amputated.

In the ten years since his injury, Kevin has maintained an adventurous and active lifestyle. Shortly after medically retiring in 2006, he received a bachelor’s degree in international business from The George Washington University and a master’s in the Science of Management from Catholic University. He has worked in Veteran Service Organizations, focusing primarily on healthcare, employment, and franchise business opportunities for veterans transitioning from military service. He is the co-founder of a San Diego-based nonprofit organization helping Veterans gain employment within the Medtech industry. He is involved with events and groups within his community, plays golf and enjoys cycling. An avid traveler, he has backpacked through much of Latin America while studying Spanish and volunteering at prosthetic clinics.

Originally from Roanoke, Virginia, Kevin and his wife, Myra, chose to build their home in Crozet, Virginia for its creative atmosphere, abundance of outdoor activities, and proximity to both their families.

In June 2008, Army Sergeant Kenneth Harker was on his second deployment with the 2-30th Infantry, 4th Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, when he lost both of his legs in Baghdad, Iraq, when an explosively formed penetrator (EFP) tore through his vehicle.

Too dark to see what was going on, initially SGT Harker felt as though he was floating before he became aware of what had happened. Checking himself for injuries, he came to the realization that his left leg had been traumatically amputated and his right leg was severely injured. Lifesaving measures by his teammates readied him for evacuation, placing tourniquets on both of his legs and transporting him in a vehicle for the one mile trip to Forward Operating Base (FOB) Loyalty before being transported to FOB Liberty in the Green Zone.

Airlifted to Landstuhl, Germany, Ken was then evacuated to Walter Reed Army Medical Center where he endured countless surgeries, treatments, and physical therapies for more than three years. Transferring to Bethesda Naval Medical Center, Ken remained there until he was medically discharged and returned home to Indiana in the fall of 2011.

Kenneth enjoys archery, wheelchair basketball, shooting, and hunting and is active in Paralympic sports and camps. He and his wife Heather stay busy with their five young children.

Cpl Zachary Nelson enlisted in the Marine Corps immediately after high school, and deployed as a motor transport specialist with the 6th Regimental Combat Team in December 2011.

On July 5, 2012, just two days before his 21st birthday, Cpl Nelson was severely injured in a vehicle rollover on a mission to Camp Delaram in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Stationed as gunner on top of the vehicle, Cpl Nelson was crushed in the accident and could not move his legs; other members of Regimental Combat Team 6 sustained serious injuries as well. The last thing Cpl Nelson recalls after the accident is his best friend kneeling next to him keeping him calm before he was loaded on the MEDEVAC chopper. Upon his medical evacuation to Kandahar, Cpl Nelson learned that he had sustained a T-4 complete spinal injury, rendering him paralyzed from the chest down.

After undergoing a 13 hour surgery to stabilize his spine and months of aggressive physical and occupational therapies at Walter Reed and James Haley VA in Tampa, Zachary continues to focus on his recovery in Indiana. He married his wife Kiley in November 2014. In his spare time, Zachary enjoys football and basketball; he’s also a car and truck enthusiast.

Zach says his HFOT home has given him so much freedom, which has increased his self-confidence and encouraged him to do more. He has returned to work full time as a 911 dispatcher for the county his lives in and Kiley is a full-time nurse. Zachary and Kiley became proud parents to their first child, Camden, in February 2019.

Army Specialist Jacob Lyerla served as a combat engineer with the 4th Engineer Battalion. He first deployed to Iraq in February 2009, supporting the 555th Engineer Brigade. In May 2009, he deployed from Iraq to Afghanistan.

On Sept. 21, 2009, SPC Lyerla was severely injured when he was thrown from the turret of his vehicle during an enemy attack in Kandahar, Afghanistan. While driving past a bus station and following up on suspicious activity, members of the 4th Engineers unit were hit by an improvised explosive device (IED). The subsequent blast ejected SPC Lyerla, causing multiple injuries to his right leg and paralyzing him from the waist down upon impact. SPC Lyerla was just 19 at the time of his injury.

Now medically retired, Jacob continues to focus on his recovery. He is grateful to be living on his own in his specially adapted home, where is able to cook more in a spacious kitchen modified to his needs.

Since moving into his home, Jacob has gotten married to his wife Ashley and they now have two children, Liberty and Maverick. He enjoys relaxing at home with his dogs, watching his fish tank, reading, and playing video games. He is currently exploring career options and his future plans include attending college.

Army Staff Sergeant Joshua Hall was driven by a sense of duty after 9/11 to join the Army. He enlisted shortly after high school, deploying two times to Afghanistan in 2010 and again in 2012.

His military career ended on a hot day in Zharay, Afghanistan, on July 31, 2012. SSG Hall, a Fire Team Leader with 1-508 PIR, was conducting damage assessment with the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division after a firefight when his heel triggered an improvised explosive device (IED). The blast knocked him unconscious and took his left leg. He also sustained severe damage to his right leg, a broken pelvis and a fractured neck and back.

During his flight to Khandahar Airfield, SSG Hall had to be resuscitated three times and received 21 pints of blood through transfusion. He was in a coma the entire time he was treated at Khandahar and Landstuhl, Germany. He awoke at Walter Reed Hospital a week after his arrival there.

Since medically retiring in May 2014, Josh continues to work out every day, trying to improve his fitness and quality of life. He recently became a part-time Krav Maga instructor. However, he still deals with prosthetic issues, and pain along with mobility problems.

Joshua says his HFOT home alleviates his current issues and will help with his future plans and endeavors. He started a company, Last Leg Tactical, which specializes in equipment for individuals with physical limitations. He is in the process of repurposing the company to work with medics in setting up training events, specifically for dealing with blast-related amputations. Joshua is currently working on a fictional book that includes realistic stories about the capabilities and warrior spirit of amputees. He enjoys having enough room in the home and having a peaceful place to relieve stress. Without a mortgage, the worry of providing for his son Liam, is lifted. “It is a tremendous source of pride to own something as significant as a house that allows me to focus on my career and rehabilitation completely,” he says.

Originally from Johnson City, Tenn., Joshua chose to remain in the state to be close to family.

Joshua Sust knew he needed to make a big life change when he found himself getting into the wrong crowd in high school. Motivated to help by the 9/11 attacks, Josh enlisted in the United States Marine Corps as an Infantryman in hopes to better his future and make a difference.

On November 12, 2011, during his deployment to Musa Quala, Afghanistan with Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, Cpl Sust was on patrol when his vehicle drove over a pressure plate improvised explosive device (IED). The blast ejected Josh out of the vehicle, resulting in severe damage to his left leg, left arm, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and hearing loss. For over three years, doctors attempted limb salvage on his left leg. During that time, Josh endured constant pain and a decreased quality of life. In August 2015, he made the life-changing decision to amputate below the left knee.

Now medically retired, Josh enjoys spending his days hunting and fishing. His time outdoors is a form of therapy and builds camaraderie with his friends. A huge Bengals football fan, he likes attending games whenever he can. He also motivates others with similar injuries as a member of the Amputee Coalition peer support effort.

Josh says that receiving his HFOT home is a game-changer. In his previous home, Josh often got discouraged because he could not use a wheelchair and was forced to use a crutch for everything, including going downstairs to do laundry. With the freedom and independence the home provides him, he has more time and energy to host Amputee Coalition Peer Support groups in his home. Originally from Cincinnati, Josh chose to remain in Ohio to be close to family and friends.

On March 29, 2011, while on foot patrol with the 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, supporting 3/8 Marines, Corporal Joseph Woodke stepped on an improvised explosive device (IED) in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The blast resulted in the loss of both legs and damage to his right ear.

During his year and a half long stay at Walter Reed Medical Center, Cpl Woodke underwent several surgeries for his legs and ear.

Now medically retired, Joseph has become an accomplished athlete. He has hand-cycled in seven marathons and plays sled hockey for the Nashville Sled Predators and earned a spot on the 2019-2020 U.S. National Sled Hockey Team. He would like to use these skills to eventually open his own gym. Joey has also continued his education, he obtained his business degree in December 2017. His specially adapted custom home, he says, will help him with these goals as it lifts the financial burden. He also enjoys the wide-open floor plan, which makes it easier for him to get around while in his wheelchair. Having an automatic door is beneficial when carrying items into the home, too.

Originally from Michigan, Joseph moved to Franklin, Tenn., for a warmer climate.

Joseph says it’s hard to put into words how grateful he is for the support not just for himself but for all injured Veterans. “Good people like HFOT’s donors and supporters are the reason why we were all willing to go to war. We wanted to defend them and this country,” he says. “Thank you for the help, and I hope you keep supporting this great charity.”