Gabriel Fierros

Hometown: Marengo, IL
Branch of Service: US Army
Rank: SSG
Awards: Purple Heart
Theater: OIF

Gabriel Fierros was born and raised in Marengo, a small town in northern Illinois. He joined the Army after high school in June 1998 and was deployed to Iraq three times during his service. On his first deployment in 2003, he was injured by a grenade explosion during a riot on Highway 8 near Baghdad. He received a shrapnel wound to his leg and stayed in country to heal. After thirty days, he continued his tour.

His third deployment to Iraq began in 2006. he was injured in a helicopter crash 20 miles outside of Baghdad. He received additional shrapnel injuries and wounds to his left eye and nasal passages. He was sent to Walter Reed Medical Center in DC for 7 months of treatment, during which time he was diagnosed with a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. After treatment at Walter Reed, he was sent back to his post in Alaska and placed in a Warrior Transition Unit to continue his care until he was medically retired from the Army. Once retired, he worked in Anchorage, Alaska as a contractor for the Army until March 2012. Then he relocated to northeast Pennsylvania and took a federal position with Tobyhanna Army Depot.

Gabriel initially heard about WWIA from one of the guys in his unit. His first trip was duck hunting in Southwestern Ohio. It was relaxing to be around like-minded people who understood his experiences and the level of camaraderie was just what he needed. Gabriel now leads WWIA events and enjoys giving back to his fellow Wounded Warriors. He currently resides with his wife and son in Long Pond, PA.