Photo By Sgt. William Taylor | U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Mark Shrewsbury, U.S. Special Operations Command, cycles past...... read more read more
Whether it be from deployments, permanent change of station or transition to civilian life, the life of a United States service member can have many unexpected twists and turns. For Staff Sgt. Mark Shrewsbury of the U.S. Special Operations Command, his life has changed dramatically in less than two years.
Shrewsbury was part of the USSOCOM 2015 Warrior Games support staff last year as a broadcast journalist helping tell the story of many of the competitors he now calls teammates.
In June 2014, he was diagnosed with stage four Metastatic Malignant Melanoma. In January 2015, a few months before the 2015 DoD Warrior Games, he found out that he had a brain tumor.
“The diagnosis hit me and my family pretty hard,” said Shrewsbury. “At the time I was having to drive from my home in Panama City (Florida) to Tampa (Florida) for treatment, which is a six-hour drive.”
Shrewsbury said he was in a bind with the drive until he was put into contact with Master Sgt. Johnny Moses, who was one of the Care Coalition representatives for USSOCOM.
“He was instrumental in getting my assignment at MacDill Air Force Base (in Tampa),” said Shrewsbury.
After transferring to MacDill, Shrewsbury went through brain surgery at Moffitt Cancer Center and is now currently in remission. He stated that by being part of the support staff last year helped him realize all the programs the USSOCOM Care Coalition has to offer.
“Last year I covered the Warrior Games as a Public Affairs broadcaster for SOCOM , and it gave me the ability to have close coordination with the Care Coalition,” said Shrewsbury. “This year I was honored to be asked participate.”
The USSOCOM Care Coalition also helped Shrewsbury for the competition by providing an recumbent bike as well as a compound bow to practice with at home.
Shrewsbury competed in sitting volleyball, archery and cycling and will be competing in swimming later on in the Warrior Games. He placed fourth in the recumbent bike race, and the USSOCOM sitting volleyball team will be playing in the Gold medal match 21 June. He said that the USSOCOM team has been less of a team and more like a family.
“They take care of you,” said Shrewsbury. “You are not just a soldier, you are a family member. It is a unique perspective and to be welcomed like they have welcomed me has just been great. It helps me still be a part of the team. A lot of the time I have been down and out because of my treatment and getting to know them and getting advice for how they made it through rough times has helped.”
Shrewsbury recalled how working last year’s DoD Warrior Games was an enlightening experience.
“It is amazing how life changes, said Shrewsbury. “Last year I was interviewing Warriors, and this year I am a Warrior being interviewed.”
| Date Taken: | 06.18.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 06.20.2016 09:18 |
| Story ID: | 201774 |
| Location: | WEST POINT, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 67 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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