Photo By Spc. Courtney Marulli | Augusta, Ga., native Staff Sgt. Gregory A. Seymour (right), a howitzer section chief...... read more read more
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By Spc. Courtney E. Marulli
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Public Affairs
FORWARD OPERATING BASE RUSTAMIYAH, Iraq — It takes a strong-willed person to stay in the game after being sidelined once, but one non-commissioned officer with the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team is fighting to stay in the game after being injured for the second time.
Staff Sgt. Gregory A. Seymour, a howitzer section chief for Battery B, 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery Regiment, received his second Purple Heart on Oct. 5 for injuries he received as an escort for a supply mission on July 15.
"I'm speechless, for one," he said. "Two, I'm happy to be alive. I'm definitely glad to be alive."
Seymour, a native of Augusta, Ga., received his first Purple Heart Feb. 16 for injuries he received on Dec. 30, 2006, when his vehicle was hit by two roadside bombs during a combat mission.
"I want to thank my battery for their support in all that I've done mentally and physically to get back on my feet," he said.
During the first incident, Seymour suffered serious injuries but focused on healing. He said he's not one to sit out of a fight. After making a full recovery, he volunteered to go back outside the wire to stay with his Soldiers and carry out his unit's mission.
Seymour, who is on his second deployment, had been back on patrols for about three weeks when he volunteered to be the truck commander for the lead vehicle.
"I was a little nervous getting back into patrols," he said of leading a convoy.
Seymour vehicle was hit in December, resulting in his first Purple Heart. But, despite any nervousness, he led a supply element to a coalition outpost. The compound was close when his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device.
Seymour said he was conscious, but two others were knocked unconscious by the blast. Once inside the secure environment of the outpost, Seymour said he moved both Soldiers, getting them treated for their injuries.
After his Soldiers were taken care of, Seymour focused on his own injuries. He was eventually evacuated to Landstuhl, Germany and given the option to return to the United States. He said that wasn't going to happen.
"I started the war with my Soldiers and I'm going to finish it," Seymour said.
Despite his injuries, Seymour said he wants to continue leading missions into combat, but is not permitted due to his injuries.
Seymour has been in for almost 11 years and comes from a long line of military service members. His father served as a sergeant major in the Signal Corps and his grandfather was a fire direction officer.
His love of the artillery and military life is part of the reason he has become the leader he is today, he said, and keeps his focus on his team.
"I want to show the Soldiers that I never gave up," he said. "I'm still fighting. I want to be near my Soldiers and as a non-commissioned officer, I have to set the example and be the example."
The one person Seymour said he wants to thank is his wife for her full support in his decision to stay the course with his Soldiers.
"She understands my dedication to my Soldiers and my unit," he said. "And being the leader that I am, she knows how I am and supports everything I do in the military."
Seymour said he is proud to have received such a prestigious award as the Purple Heart, not once, but twice, but that's not what really matters.
"To me, it doesn't matter how many awards I earn, but what I instill in my Soldiers and leave on the battlefield," he said. "I can teach anyone to do my job, but the real challenge is taking a Soldier and turning them into a leader. What the Army needs is more leaders."
| Date Taken: | 10.08.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 10.08.2007 13:57 |
| Story ID: | 12759 |
| Location: | RUSTAMIYAH, IQ |
| Web Views: | 889 |
| Downloads: | 169 |
This work, NCO receives second Purple Heart; stays to fight instead of going home, by SPC Courtney Marulli, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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