Here's how you know
 **Official websites use .mil** .mil
 **Secure .mil websites use HTTPS** lock () https://


Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 Toggle navigation
            
            
            
            
            National Guard
                        Always Ready Always There
                    National Guard
            
            Search National Guard:
                        Search
                    Search
                        Search National Guard:
                            Search
    Home

    News
    
        Guard News

    Overseas Operations

    State Partnership Program

    News Features

    RSS Feeds

    Press Releases

    Transcripts

    Features
    
        Features by Year

    State Partnership Program

    Special Features

    About the Guard
    
        How We Began

    Air National Guard

    Army National Guard    
    
        DEERS Soldier Journey

    Leader Development Program

    History and Heritage

    I am the Guard

    NGB Official March

    Leadership
    
        CNGB

    VCNGB

    SEA

    DANG

    DARNG

    Joint Staff    
    
        J-1

    J-2

    J-3

    J-4

    J-5

    J-6

    J-7

    J-8

    Personal Staff    
    
        Inspector General

    General Counsel    
    
        Special Victims Counsel

    Public Affairs

    Executive Support Services

    Legislative Liaison

    Special Staff    
    
        Office of the Provost Marshal

    Office of the Joint Surgeon

    Director of Acquisitions

    Small Business Programs

    Chaplain

    Senior Leader Management Office

    Diversity Equity Inclusion

    Comptroller

    Resources    
        National Defense Strategy Implementation Guidance

    Community Engagement

    FOIA

    Fact Sheets

    Helpful Links

    Image Gallery
    
        News Images

    Graphics

    Historical Paintings

    Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

    Legislative Liaison

    Small Business Programs

    Social Media

    State Websites

    Videos    
    
        Featured Videos

    On Every Front

    2019 Videos

    2020 Videos

    2021 Videos

    Suicide Prevention

    Family Programs

    Environmental

    Trial Defense Service

    Holistic Wellness Challenge

    Contact Us  Home
  News
  Article View
 
 Download
 Details
 Share
 NEWS
 Arizona Army Guard member cheats death, returns to duty By Army Sgt. Brian Barbour
                123rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
 PHOENIX - Just before 7 a.m. on a recent Saturday, the door to the Pettycrew Armory here opened and, with some assistance, a young, smiling Soldier seated in a wheelchair entered. Dressed in his Army combat uniform, Spc. Rashaad Gregory was arriving for duty during a normal drill for the first time since he nearly died in a July 28 vehicle accident. Gregory, an air conditioning and refrigeration repairer with the 3666th Support Maintenance Company, defied medical expectations after a car accident caused his skull to tear away from his spine. This type of injury, referred to as an internal decapitation, typically results in death or paralysis, doctors said. "The first time I went to see him, he was on complete life support, and the doctors were not optimistic at all," said Army Lt. Col. Kenneth Stice, the commander of the 158th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, which Gregory's unit falls under. "With an internal decapitation like this, statistically, 99 percent of the people die on the scene." Gregory said doctors told him the actions of his friend and fellow Guardsmember, Army Pfc. Edwin Carter, saved his life. Carter, who was driving when another vehicle slammed into theirs, stabilized Gregory's head and neck until paramedics arrived. Ken Gregory, Rashaad's father, said the original prognosis from staff at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center wasn't good; he was told his son would be a quadriplegic and be dependent on a ventilator for the rest of his life. But after successful surgeries to repair his internal injuries and fuse his spine and skull, Gregory started to make progress that led doctors to be more optimistic about his recovery. Throughout his recovery, Gregory stayed positive. "[He] just never took "You can't' or "No' for an answer," Stice said. "His determination, spirit and desire to prove everyone wrong were awe-inspiring." During the almost four-month hospital stay, Gregory received a tremendous amount of support from his family and friends and his church and military communities. "I wanted him to understand that the military is a family," said Sgt. 1st Class Tiffany Fisher, the readiness noncommissioned officer for Gregory's unit. "He was going to be treated like family, and he was going to be supported as if he was a family member." Gregory had only been a Soldier for a short time, drilling twice with his unit before the accident occurred. His personality however, had made an impression on some of his fellow Soldiers. "He always had a smile on his face and a joke to tell," Fisher said. "He's just a happy kind of guy -- very positive [and] optimistic." Fisher said she believes Gregory's optimism and positivity helped him recover. "He was sitting in a hospital bed for almost four months, not being able to move, and I never heard a negative word come out of his mouth," she said. While he was in the hospital Gregory's unit promoted him from private first class to specialist. The military was a huge focus point in Gregory's recovery process, Fisher said. "When he knew he was getting out of that hospital, all we had to do is make sure his uniform was ready," she added, "because he wanted to walk out in that uniform." On Nov. 15, that's exactly what Gregory did -- dressed in his Army uniform, with a walker for assistance and his father by his side. "My family, my dad, my sisters, my brother and my girlfriend were there for me throughout this," he said, adding that made things easier throughout his recovery. "It's easier to believe in yourself when you have someone there believing in you," Gregory said. "I would not have been able to do as much as I have without my family and my friends. They are the source of my strength." Gregory still has a long road to full recovery, but he's working hard and staying positive. "I made a comment to him on my second visit," Stice said. "I said we're all dealt bad hands as we go on in life. How you play the hand is up to you. The next time I saw him, he said "Sir, I turned that horrible hand into a royal flush.' And I have to agree, he has."
 SHARE
 PRINT
 
 Pennsylvania Guard WMD Civil Support Team Completes Exercise
 By Wayne Hall,
  Maryland Guard, Bosnia and Herzegovina Conduct JTAC Training
 By Master Sgt. Christopher Schepers,
  Finnish Air Force Commander Meets Virginia Guard Leaders
 By Mike Vrabel,
  More
 Pennsylvania Guard WMD Civil Support Team Completes Exercise4/12/2024Finnish Air Force Commander Meets Virginia Guard Leaders4/12/2024South Carolina National Guard Airmen Return From Deployment4/12/2024 View more Guard News »
 US, Canadian Special Forces Forge Partnerships in Jamaica4/8/2024
Deployed Pennsylvania Guard Soldiers Earn Their Combat Patch3/27/2024
Pennsylvania Guard Conducts Medical Cold-Load Training in Africa3/20/2024 View more Overseas Operations News »
 Maryland Guard, Bosnia and Herzegovina Conduct JTAC Training4/12/2024

Illinois Air Guard Supports Partner Poland4/10/2024

Wisconsin Guard Builds on Papua New Guinea Partnership4/4/2024 View more State Partnership Program News »
 Back-to-school tools for military families8/11/2015DoD sends blended military retirement proposal to Congress6/16/2015First employment symposium held for National Guard spouses5/11/2015 View more Family Programs News »
 Home
 Site Map
 Privacy & Security Policy
 Link Disclaimer
 Web Policy
 DOD Information Quality
 DOD Open GovernmentFOIA
 No FEAR Act
 Accessibility/Section 508
 Contact Us
 Army Guard Careers
 Air Guard Careers
 USA.gov
                    
Staying Connected
    XYouTubeFlickrFacebookInstagram
                 
                
                

Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil