Quadruple amputee veteran shares story of resilience and perseverance

WASHINGTON (SBG) - Travis Mills is just one of a few quadruple amputees who survived the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. After serving more than 17 years in the U.S. Army, Staff Sergeant Travis Mills never stopped supporting his military and was even awarded the Army's Outstanding Civilian Service Medal, the highest civilian honor. Mills has since gone on to create the Travis Mills Foundation, which supports veterans and their families.

“I set my backpack down on a bomb accidentally, and I had to lose portions of both arms and legs due to my injuries, so I’m one of the five surviving quadruple amputees,” said Mills to The National Desk’s Jan Jeffcoat.

Mills spent 19 months recovering at Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

“I learned how to walk, how to drive, feed myself, use a hand, open and close a hand and things like that,” said Mills. “I'm so grateful that we live in a nation that does take care of me. So as bad as my situation was, I've been able to persevere.”

Mills credits his wife and his daughter Chloe, who was 6 months old at the time, for helping him through recovery.

“Chloe was my biggest fan, and I learned how to walk with my daughter,” said Mills. “I think that’s really what it boiled down to, was that I made it home. I had the support group and how many friends of mine didn't make it back to their loved ones, their parents, their spouses, their children. And I just keep pushing because of that.”

Mills started the Travis Mills Foundation in part as a way to stay active with his family.

“I might not be able to teach my daughter how to play soccer or my son to throw a spiral on a football but I can still do these things, through bringing families out that have been through combat and service-connected physical injuries and show them that I can still live life to the fullest,” said Mills.

The Travis Mills Foundation is hosting a benefit concert in Cleveland, Ohio with country music artist John Rich, as well as an event in Ocala, Florida featuring Craig Morgan.

“It's gonna be a great time and all the funds that get raised goes to Travis Mills Foundation to help us bring in more families,” said Mills. “We’re so grateful for everyone supporting us.”

To learn more, visit travismillsfoundation.org.