A highly decorated veteran with over ten years of active service, Chris was an enlisted Army infantryman who lost close friends in the New York Police and Fire Departments on 9/11. During his service in Iraq and Afghanistan, he received the coveted Combat Infantryman’s Badge and two Bronze Star medals, the first of which was awarded after a 12-hour battle along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in which a 19 year old soldier in his squad was killed by an Al-Qaeda sniper. In a separate incident, Chris earned a Purple Heart when a rocket propelled grenade detonated near his position, sending shrapnel into his head and back. Chris left the Army in 2006 and began work with the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, the leading non-partisan group for his generation of veterans, where he lobbied congress for more funding for post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries. He currently works for Comtex News Network as a senior account manager, marketing and sales. Chris is currently pursuing his B.A. in economics from the University of Phoenix.