Photo By Master Sgt. Thomas Duval | Col. Todd R. Wood, commander of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry...... read more read more
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FORWARD OPERATING BASE FRONTENAC, Afghanistan - The U.S. Army defines selfless service as putting the welfare of the nation, the Army and your subordinates above your own.
On Nov. 9th, Staff Sgt. Brian Beem stood in front of a crowd filled with his peers, superiors and subordinates alike to remind them of what selfless service looks like during a re-enlistment ceremony at Forward Operating Base Frontenac in southern Kandahar, Afghanistan.
At first glance, Staff Sgt. Beem, a cavalry scout with the 5th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, resembles many soldiers that came before him to re-enlist: standing tall and taking pride in his decision to once again raise his right hand to serve his country.
It wasn’t until Beem finished his oath and his speech to his comrades that one could see what made him different from the other soldiers.
As the Poughkeepsie, N.Y., native began to walk, there was a noticeable limp, one that he tried to hide with a smile and a small nod of the head as he shook hands with everyone that gathered to witness the inspirational event.
It was the limp that reminded each soldier what true sacrifice and selfless service was.
During a deployment to Iraq in 2006, Beem, 33, received the injury that would change his life forever.
On Oct. 10, 2006, Beem was riding in his Stryker vehicle when an improvised explosive device detonated, sending him to the ground gasping for air. After gaining his composure, the 13-year Army veteran assessed his fellow soldiers riding with him. That’s when he began to realize the severity of the explosion, as he found his battle buddy and best friend, Sgt. Nicholas Sowinski dead.
After performing checks on the rest of his crew, Beem began his own assessment.
“I knew right away my foot felt funny,” he continued. “As I felt down my leg, I felt my knee, and then I felt what seemed like a second knee.”
Beem was evacuated to Walter Reed Medical Hospital where the doctors fought to save his leg, but after a number of surgeries to reverse the infections and a number of attempts to repair the two missing arteries failed, the decision to amputate his leg was made.
Despite losing his leg, he continues to live his dream of being a soldier, and in May 2010, he returned to Iraq for Operation Proper Exit. The program allows soldiers who have suffered traumatic and sometimes career ending injuries to return to the battlefield and leave on their own terms.
The titanium leg that Beem relies on to walk will always be a reminder of the horrific day in Iraq. He refuses, however, to let it affect him finishing what he started and often jokes that the new prosthetic leg has made him faster and somewhat of a "bionic" soldier.
Beem’s positive attitude and the Army’s Continuing on Active Duty program have allowed him to continue his military service. After returning from Operation Proper Exit and receiving the support of his commanders and fellow soldiers, he decided to secure his footprint as a cavalry soldier, as he chose to join his fellow "Black Hawk" soldiers of the 5/1 CAV for their deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
“He is a true inspiration,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Joseph McFarlane, 5/1 CAV’s senior non-commissioned officer in charge. “If we think that we have a bad day or this day is too hard, all we have to do is look at Staff Sgt. Beem and remember his bad day in October 2006 and then remember that he is still here with us today.”
“To see him come in every day motivated and confident inspires me,” said Spc. Jason Harris, a cavalry scout with the 5/1 CAV. “It’s amazing to see someone who can stay positive, even after going through something so tragic.”
The Nov. 9th re-enlistment will be the last for Beem as he entered his indefinite stage, making him a career soldier.
“From the time I enlisted in 1998, I knew I was a career soldier,” Beem said with a smile. “It’s not about the paycheck. It’s about the profession.”
The sacrifice of Staff Sgt. Beem and the resiliency to recover from the devastating injury are two traits that he says most soldiers possess. Although he would never accept being called a hero, he is often recognized as just that. Many people who have met Beem will say that it’s not his actions on Oct. 10, 2006, or Nov 9, 2011, that set him apart, it’s his loyalty to a higher cause that distinguishes his service as selfless.
For photos of the ceremony see the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/1-25_sbct/sets/72157627965219391/detail/
| Date Taken: | 11.09.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 11.10.2011 00:13 |
| Story ID: | 79821 |
| Location: | FORWARD OPERATING BASE FRONTENAC, AF |
| Web Views: | 1,627 |
| Downloads: | 4 |
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