David Rozelle

Captain David M. Rozelle, a native Texan, was born 17 August 1972, and adopted by John and Judy Rozelle.

He enlisted in the North Carolina National Guard in August 1993 and was commissioned in May 1995, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in English from Davidson College.

Following the Armor Officers Basic Course, Fort Knox, KY, Captain Rozelle was assigned to Fort Hood, TX, as a tank platoon leader, mortar platoon leader, and executive officer as part of the Army Advanced Warfighter Experiment. In 1999, he deployed to Kuwait as part of Operation Desert Spring, and later to Iraq with Operation Iraqi Freedom in April 2003.

In June 2003, Captain Rozelle was leading a convoy in Hit, Iraq, near Ar Ramadi, when his vehicle struck a land mine, which resulted in the loss of his right foot. He spent eight months recovering at Fort Carson, Colorado. Following his rehabilitation, Rozelle pursued his pre-injury activities, including skiing, snowboarding, and mountain climbing. His determination not only drove him to master those sports, but also to complete five sprint-distance triathlons on the Triathlon Circuit, which concluded with an Olympic–distance triathlon, and in a Half–Ironman relay in La Jolla, CA.

On 4 March 2004, Rozelle was declared “Fit for Duty” and was chosen in June 2004 to command a cavalry troop in Iraq, assigned to the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. Rozelle will be the first troop commander in recent military history to redeploy as an amputee to the same battlefield.

Upon his return from Iraq, Rozelle started in August 2005 as the Director of the Amputee Care Center at Walter Reed Hospital as part of the 3^rd Armored Cavalry Regiment (3 ACR).

Rozelle’s military honors include the Bronze Star with Valor, for actions in combat, the Purple Heart for injuries sustained in Iraq, the Army Commendation Medal (four awards), and the Army Achievement Medal (three awards).

Captain David M. Rozelle has been a guest on the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather, NBC’s Today Show, and FOX’s Dayside with Linda Vester. David Rozelle lives with his wife, Kimberly, and two children, in Alexandria, VA.