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Feb. 7, 2009

Barrel Horse World welcomes Kelly Wolf (armywifewolf) to our bulletin board community.  

She joined this past December but we recently learned more about how she is the proud wife of an injured soldier and some of the challenges this young couple faces. 

Barrel Horse World is honored to help and will keep this page updated with activities, information and pictures.
 

Learn More About Brett | View a Photo Gallery | Read Brett's Story | Contribute | Auction Details

About SPC Brett Wolf

Specialist Brett Wolf was serving in Iraq with the 25th Infantry when he was severely injured on September 11, 2007. Brett was injured while driving the lead vehicle, a minesweeper, in South Kirkuk, Iraq. The sweeper struck a large bomb, flipped over and injured several of the personnel on board.

The blast caused severe injuries to Brett, with both legs amputated above the knee, serious injuries to his right arm, abdomen and face as well as other minor injuries.

Help Homes for Our Troops build Brett a home that will accommodate his needs and enable him and his wife to concentrate on recovery.  Click Here for details.

Photo Gallery : SPC Brett Wolf, Saginaw, TX
(Click on each enlarged image to move forward)

Brett's Story

Posted by Kelly 2009-02-05 11:11 PM

"Hello all I would like to say WOW, and I was in bawling my eyes out when I saw this Thank you BHW,  words cant ever explain what this means to us, I ran into our bedroom to tell Brett, and I was cryin an hes like whats wrong an I told him you know that site that I go on all the time hes like yea, I said the BHW donated money towards our home, he smiled an hugged me and said tell them thank you.."

Many of you asked for more details when this story was posted yesterday so we asked Kelly to share:

Posted by Kelly 2009-02-06 3:31 PM (edited)

Hello All, I am going to tell yall a about Brett and I warn you this may be long!!

Brett is 25, Active Duty Army, 25th ID, out of Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. 

I, Kelly, am 24.

Brett was injured in Kirkuk, Iraq on 11 September 2007, while driving back from a mission.  Brett was the lead vehicle in the convoy when they hit an IED (Improvised explosive device) roadside bomb. The bomb was so big that it threw all 5 men from truck (now these Humvees have a minesweeper on the front of them to hit the IEDs first).  The minesweeper on the truck weighs about 3,000lbs, and it threw the IED 300 yards.  After the explosion, there was nothing left of the Humvee.  The IED was detonated, which means there was an Iraqi sitting nearby, waiting for them to pass over the IED, so he could blow them up. 

Brett and his squad leader were hit the worst, but everyone SURVIVED.  It a miracle God saved all of them.  Brett was the worst; he lost both legs above the knee.  When he was in Germany, the doctors did not even think he would make it. 

His squad leader lost one leg below the knee. Both soldiers lost a severe amount of blood and almost died. Thank God for awesome soldiers they are alive today.  Both of them had their best friends by their sides, their comrades. 

Now for those who don't know, there is a special bond between soldiers that you can't explain. They are closer than brothers. They go though all kinds of S**** together, especially the ones who go to Iraq an Afghanistan.  Many see their friends die right in their arms. 

Ok, so Brett and I were married after he was injured in Iraq.  I told him legs are not what makes him who he is - it's what's inside and that's what I care about. Brett and I met in Hawaii.  I have a best guy friend who I grew up with, and went and visited him in Hawaii. Brett and him are in the same unit and the best of friends.  Brett and I just kicked it off!  I also went to visit him before they left for Iraq. We became the best of friends even more! I knew what the military was like because my father was a marine, so I knew what to expect. 

Brett was in a coma for a month. I cried so many nights thinking he wouldn't remember me, but I had dreams of him telling me everything was okay and that he loved me and that he wanted to see my face when he woke up. 

You know that movie P.S. I Love You and that part where she listens to his voice over and over?  That was me. He would always leave me voicemails saying how much he loved me, so that's what I listened to while he was in his coma. 

Now Brett had numerous injuries other than his legs.  He had broken almost every bone in his face and his jaw, his mouth was wired shut for 2 months, they removed his spleen, he had a trache tube in, he shattered his right elbow, and had a fasciotomy on his left arm, which is a surgical procedure where the fascia is cut to relieve tension or pressure. Also, he had TBI, Tramatic Brain Injury, he can't remember things.

He now has severe Heterotopic ossification (HO), which is the formation of mature trabecular bone in sites where it is not normally present - in his stumps and elbow, which they say is caused by bacteria found in the soil in Iraq and Afghanistan that goes through the blood stream.

Brett loves to hunt, fish, do anything outdoors, and would someday like to learn to ride but I don't have a horse for him to ride on that is safe for him. I run barrels, I used to do cutting, I went to the National High School finals in 2003.  I like to rope but don't have a rope horse any more.

I had to sell 3 of 4 of my horses when Brett was injured.  I quit my job as vet assistant, which I loved so much, but they understood.  I gave up my entire life for this man I love sooo much.  I can't imagine my life without him. It is so hard to see what my hubby goes through, but I know that it will be okay and that God has it all under control up there. If I had to do it all over again I would. I have seen him cry and that is when it is the hardest for me. I stay strong and don't cry so he knows that everything is going to be okay. 

He has a very positive outlook about it. He says, "Well, there's nothing that I can do about it.  What's happened has happened and we can't change it."  I will wake up everyday and know that war has changed our lives forever, and nothing can ever bring Brett's legs back, but Brett is my American hero, no matter the looks that we get from people who don't understand. I know that Brett has served his country well, I am proud of him, proud to be his wife, and we do this because we are a proud army family. We love the flag and live by it. We love America because we are free.
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Kelly Wolf...Proud Army Wife of Wounded Soldier!! Check out Homesforourtroops.com - it's a good cause...check out me and my hubby's page.. go to homes, texas,spc. brett wolf

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