After Afghanistan
On June 12, 2012, Sergeant Matt Krumwiede was on patrol in Afghanistan when he stepped on a homemade bomb which tore away both his legs, damaged his left arm, and ripped open his abdominal cavity.
The 22-year-old has since undergone around 40 surgeries and is now learning to walk with prosthetic legs. Despite the severity of what happened to him, he is keen to re-join the infantry as soon as his injuries allow.
Matt Krumwiede patrols in Kandahar province, southern Afghanistan, the day before he was injured by an improvised explosive device.
A medic treats Krumwiede after he was wounded by the powerful blast.
U.S. soldiers carry their injured comrade towards a Blackhawk Medevac helicopter.
Krumwiede’s blood-covered M4 rifle lies on the ground.
Fellow soldiers react after Krumwiede was wounded.
Over a year later, the injured soldier lies recovering at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio.
He gets onto a gurney at the facility.
Krumwiede (front, second left) lines up for morning formation at Brooke Army Medical Center.
He plays a drumming computer game during occupational therapy at the Center for the Intrepid, which is part of the army medical facility.
Krumwiede attaches a prosthetic leg before he practices walking with physical therapist Troy Hopkins.
The recovering soldier takes some steps alongside the physical therapist.
Krumwiede practices walking over gravel.
The injured sergeant has a wound tended to by his mother Pam, after a hunting trip at a ranch outside San Antonio.
Krumwiede sits in pain while his friend Sergeant Jesse McCart and his mother Pam talk after a day of hunting.
Krumwiede talks to McCart, who also lost his legs in Afghanistan, as they spend time at a hunting ranch.
McCart pushes Krumwiede in a wheelchair at the ranch.
He helps Krumwiede off the ground.
Krumwiede sits in a jeep as he hunts with McCart.
He grips his gun during the hunting trip.
The two injured soldiers sit together in the jeep at the ranch.
