09/01/2026
🐬 A Well-Deserved Retreat for One of Our Nation’s Heroes 🇺🇸
Chad deployed to Iraq in 2005 with the 1st Battalion, 35th Armor Regiment. On July 2, 2006, while serving in Ramadi, Iraq, his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device (IED). The explosion caused the vehicle to roll over, trapping Chad beneath the burning wreckage. His fellow soldiers worked for nearly an hour to free him.
Chad was eventually transferred back to the United States, where he began a long and incredibly difficult recovery at Brooke Army Medical Center. After countless surgeries, both of his legs were amputated above the knee, and burns covering nearly 40% of his body required extensive skin grafting.
Despite everything he endured, Chad considers himself a lucky man. Today, he is medically retired, and his two children are his whole world. ❤️
For veterans and their families, retreats like this are about so much more than a day away. They provide an opportunity to step outside the stresses of everyday life, spend meaningful time together as a family, experience something new, and simply enjoy the moment. Seeing Chad and his family smiling, laughing, and making memories together is exactly why opportunities like these are so meaningful.
A heartfelt thank you to Island Dolphin Care for once again welcoming our veterans and their families and providing such a special experience. Your generosity gives families the chance to reconnect, recharge, and create memories they will carry with them long after the retreat is over. 🐬💙
And thank you, Chad, for your service, sacrifice, strength, and for allowing us to share a small part of your story. 🇺🇸
