Friend,
After I was blown up in Afghanistan by the Taliban, I knew I couldn’t let the loss of my legs mean my service to our country was over. I set my mind to learning to walk again and then graduating from college.
One evening while I was in school, I was walking with my pregnant wife and young children when a few men who had participated in a nearby anti-Israel protest tried to pick a fight with us.
I figured these men thought I would be an easy target because I move slowly on my prosthetics, and I also believe they came after us because it was clear from my Army Rangers baseball hat that I had served in the U.S. military.
After that experience, I told my wife Brianna that I was going to find a way to really show my support for Israel. The lesson I learned from what happened that evening is that those who hate Israel will make the jump to hating the United States. They hate the freedom, democracy and creative innovation that both countries stand for and exemplify.
So, I volunteered to serve alongside the Israeli Defense Forces in Israel. My time there solidified my view that the United States must support Israel and must not let our strongest ally in the Middle East face our mutual enemies alone.
