Today's guest is an Army Combat Veteran who suffered severe injury due to an IED in Iraq. He transformed his life to serve in another way and helps veterans both physically and mentally. He is the Director of Warriors Speak at Wounded Warrior Project, and the Founder of the Warrior Spirit Retreat. I would like to welcome Dan Nevins. ----more---- Hi this is your host, Pete Blum. Welcome to American Heroes Network! Our core mission is Serving the Brave Men and Women who have Sacrificed to Ensure our Freedom. You will hear true stories from those that have served, learn about Veteran organizations and resources, and gain hope for your future knowing American Heroes Network, your community, and other Veterans are here and at the ready to serve and help you and your family. We will talk about the hard topics like PTSD/TBI. You will also hear military history, inspirational stories, learn about networking with the community, and more. So come join us and be part of our family.   Today's guest is an Army Combat Veteran who suffered severe injury due to an IED in Iraq. He transformed his life to serve in another way and helps veterans both physically and mentally. He is the Director of Warriors Speak at Wounded Warrior Project, and the Founder of the Warrior Spirit Retreat. I would like to welcome Dan Nevins.   You can follow Dan here Websites: https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/ and http://www.dannevins.com/ and https://www.warriorspiritretreat.org/   LinikedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wounded-warrior-project/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannevins/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wwp and https://www.facebook.com/thedannevins Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wwp/ and https://www.instagram.com/dannevins/ Twitter: @wwp   Dan thank you for serving and how are you doing today?   So both you and I have a passion for helping veterans!   Dan lost both legs below the knee and lives with a traumatic brain injury and the emotional wounds of war.  Dan discovered the life-changing power of yoga, which has enabled him to heal from the invisible wounds of war in a way that nothing else could. He quickly realized that other wounded warriors could benefit from yoga in the same way and knew he had to become an instructor.   Topics   Tell us about joining and what you did in the military Dan. I joined out of high school and started as a paratrooper. February 2004 when Dan deployed to Balad, Iraq, as a squad leader. Later that year, an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated beneath his vehicle, resulting in a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and the amputation of his left leg below the knee. After several years of recurring infections and countless surgeries, Dan chose to surgically remove his right leg as well, making him a bilateral amputee.   Transition from the military for you was unexpected and must have been incredibly hard for you, can you tell us about that time? Dan spent 18 months at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in recovery. In his first days there, he received a backpack from Wounded Warrior Project, a care package that would greatly impact his personal and professional life. Following medical retirement in 2006, Dan relocated to Jacksonville, Florida, where he joined the staff of the PGA TOUR.   What were some of the challenges you faced in returning to civilian life and how did you end up working for the PGA Tour?   Tell us about Wounded Warrior Project and how you personally got involved with them, what was in that backpack they gave you at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.   I am a huge fan of Wounded Warrior Project and I know several people that work there in Florida, either at the headquarters in Jacksonville or the office in Tampa, which I was able to visit when they hosted IVMF's Onward To Opportunity program that I was part of. You must be a big fan as well as you eventually joined their team and have worked in several positions, but before that you received their highest award, the Georg