News Reader.info

Swinford served in Bosnia and commanded a battalion in Afghanistan after 9/11. But it was his time training the Iraqi National Army in Baghdad from 2007 to 2008 that most tested his mettle.

He was one of fewer than 100 U.S. American soldiers on a base of around 5,000 Iraqis during a civil war between Sunnis and Shia. “The base got rocketed several times and took small arms

fire. Iraqi soldiers were killed on the compound,” Swinford told _AARP Veteran Report_. “Whenever the Iraqis would go on operations, I would go with them. “We frequently encountered small

arms fire, grenades and IEDs of all types — vehicle, suicide vests, roadside bombs, anti-armor IED’s. Once we supported a Special Operations team capturing a Shiite militia member from

inside our own base where he was serving in the intelligence section of the Iraqi division headquarters.” He was in a convoy traveling to the Green Zone when an IED exploded between his

Humvee and the vehicle in front of him, wounding its gunner and commander. Swinford awarded the two soldiers the Purple Heart. Swinford, 60, who retired from the Army in 2012, now exercises

at the MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) in Washington, D.C., twice a week. A personal trainer visits his home once or twice a week and he also exercises on his own once a week.

“In all these years he has never missed a single session, even when he’s sick,” Pam, 59, told _AARP Veteran Report_. Swinford no longer breathes with a ventilator and he does regular

sit-to-stands as well as leg weightlifting, balancing exercises and transfers from walker to therapy table. He has walked as far as 200 feet. He has embraced technology and remains as fit

and healthy as possible so he will be a viable candidate for breakthrough treatment, if and when it becomes available. Inspired by his father, 2nd Lt. Ethan Swinford, 23, now serves in the

3rd Cavalry Regiment at Fort Hood, Texas.