One tough NCO

[unhappycamper]

Incredible comeback
Sgt. 1st Class Mikey Fairfax lost his leg in 2007


One tough NCO
By Sean D. Naylor - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Feb 23, 2009 16:36:46 EST

One by one, as their names were called, the 70 graduates from 3rd Special Forces Group’s demanding jumpmaster course strode to the front of the classroom to receive their certificates.

The Nov. 18 ceremony in the Fort Bragg, N.C., headquarters of the group’s 2nd Battalion, was similar to dozens of graduation events held each week across the Army, with one exception: the 33-year-old sergeant first class who, when his turn came, walked with a slight limp to accept his certificate. On that day, he became the first amputee to graduate from any Army jumpmaster course.

“Finally,” “Mikey” Fairfax thought as he regarded the admiring and respectful faces of his peers, “I’m back in the Army. I’m one of the boys again.”

That feeling had been a long time coming.

John “Mikey” Fairfax’s life changed forever at 7.30 a.m. July 30, 2005.


Rest of article at: http://armytimes.com/news/2009/02/army_jumpmaster_022309w/%2e

[MADem]

1. Good heavens. It used to be very rare that they'd keep an amputee on ACDU

Now it's much more common....

Fairfax’s chain of command in 3rd Group and Special Forces Command offered consistent support and encouragement. “They never once said, ‘Hey, you’re going to get boarded out,’” he said. “They always said, ‘Hey, there’s always going to be a job for you.’”

Special Forces Command has taken a similar approach with other amputees....Fairfax is one of six Special Forces soldiers who have had legs amputated and are still on active duty in the groups — three in 3rd Group and one each in 1st, 5th and 7th groups, according to Special Forces Command spokesman Maj. Chris Augustine. But of those six, only Fairfax and one other have stayed on active duty in Special Forces after an above-the-knee amputation, Augustine added.

...Fairfax has remained in his group support battalion job, but he still harbors an ambition to return to the fight.

There are no regulations that explicitly limit amputees from specific Special Forces jobs, according to Col. (Dr.) Peter Benson, the command surgeon for Special Forces Command.

Benson said in a statement to Army Times: “The individual soldier’s ability to perform all the required tasks expected of a Special Forces operational detachment-alpha team member and the likelihood that they do not pose any detriment to themselves or their unit are the main factors used in determining whether they are cleared to return.”

However, while it is possible for Fairfax to work in a company headquarters (a B-team, in Special Forces parlance), his injury makes it unlikely that he will return to an A-team.