Petty Officer Third Class Kevin Ivory joined the navy as a hospital corpsman during Operation Iraqi Freedom and was looking forward to serving on a ship during the war. Instead, he was assigned as a combat medic to a squad of Marines deployed to Iraq.
Kevin served two tours in Iraq. During his second tour, Ivory encountered three separate Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attacks. The third attack occurred when Kevin drove down an embankment and unknowingly ran right over three IED’s. which launched the vehicle into the air ten feet. He and a Marine were sprayed with shrapnel, causing the Marine in the passenger seat to lose his arm. Kevin, wounded himself, started placing a tourniquet on the injured Marine but lost consciousness. He regained consciousness and continued medical treatment until passing out a second time. By the time the Medivac unit arrived, they determined that Kevin’s actions saved the life of the Marine. As a result of the attack, Kevin suffered mild Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). After extensive therapy at the local Phoenix VA Hospital, he has recovered his cognitive and retention abilities. However, he was diagnosed in 2006 to have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) caused by the multiple IED attacks. Frequent nightmares, flashbacks and constant anxiety are his major symptoms.
For Kevin’s service in Iraq, the Navy awarded him a Purple Heart, 3 Navy/Marine Corps Achievement medals (one with valor), 2 Service and Expeditionary GWOT medals and 1 Iraq Campaign medal. Today, Kevin is a valued employee of The University of Phoenix, one of the largest veteran employers.
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