Courtesy Photo | (Photo courtesy Sgt. Aneska Holness) Sgt. Aneska Holness, after receiving the Purple...... read more read more
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FALLS CHURCH Va.- The Purple Heart is our nation's oldest military medal; frankly, it’s a medal no one wants. It is given for sacrifice. Soldiers are either wounded or have died who receive the Purple Heart. Sgt. Aneska Holness, who serves in the Arizona National Guard, received the Purple Heart at a Fort Bliss, Texas, ceremony on December 4, 2024.
“I guess a word I would use to describe it is bittersweet. I understand the implications of the medal. I understand what it's for, but at the same time, the reason you receive it is… it's heavy,” said the 29-year-old wheeled vehicle mechanic.
In early 2024, Holness and members of her unit were involved in an explosion while deployed in the Middle East. Holness describes the chaos that ensued as she was sound asleep when her building collapsed. “Waking up to it there was a lot of confusion, at least for me. I woke up wondering what was happening, and I was pinned under the roof because it had collapsed. The walls were completely gone, and you're confused about what's happening and wondering why there was smoke everywhere, stuff like that, and why there was dirt in my mouth. Then I heard people screaming.”
Holness knew she was hurt but had to transition into assist mode because her roommate was trapped, and there were Soldiers around her who were injured and even killed. She had an epiphany about all the training the Army conducts that no one ever thinks they will use. “I think it's really important, and this situation showed me, and everyone affected, we reacted to help others that were injured, we recover people who were killed. People must be able to perform first aid while we wait to take them to the medics. Those battle training drills are very important!”
She is sad about losing her comrades but glad she could help others survive. Holness is now focusing on her recovery. She suffers from a Traumatic Brain injury and double hip injuries from being crushed. She went from Landstuhl Hospital in Germany to the Fort Bliss Soldier Recovery Unit, where she had the first of multiple hip surgeries. “I'm doing better. I think the surgery was good. I will say it has been a hard recovery. There's still a lot of things that I can't do. I still have to do physical therapy multiple times a week. So, it's been a very long journey, but knowing where I started from the day after postop, you know what I mean, and where I am now, I'm doing much better.”
Holness was thrilled with the care she received after her hip surgery last summer. “Dr. Garcia and his surgical team are phenomenal. I swear everything is so organized with them, and I have not had a single issue where I couldn't just call my surgery coordinator and get a resolution in minutes,” she said.
Navigating her recovery at the SRU is her mission these days, and she was honored and humbled to receive our Nation's Oldest medal on December 4th. In addition to her mom, Holness said she was also touched to see other Purple Heart recipients who came to support her.
“I appreciated it. It was nice seeing everybody show up and all the support. I received all the kind words. They even had the Purple Heart El Paso chapter come, and I got to meet with a few different people and talk with them. They also shared their stories with me, so it was really nice. Hearing from them made it a little bit easier, “ said Holness.
Holness offers this advice to make life a bit easier for future Soldiers who may need the SRU: “Ask questions, you know, talk to someone you never know who can give you resources and tools that you may need, and advocate for yourself.”
And as far as some of that Army training, which may seem boring, Holness says to pay attention. “I will never look at another training or drill the same way again.”
| Date Taken: | 01.06.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 01.06.2025 09:03 |
| Story ID: | 488695 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 50 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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