Spilt
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Army Veteran Florent Groberg received the Medal of Honor in 2015 for his selfless actions during the War in Afghanistan, where he rushed a suicide bomber to protect 28 coalition and Afghan National Army personnel.
Groberg knew he wanted to join the military when his uncle joined the Algerian army to fight the Armed Islamic Group, a terrorist organization that was eventually responsible for his uncle's grisly death. Groberg’s family moved to the United States when he was 12, and Groberg’s resolve to join the military was strengthened after the September 11 attacks. However, in order to join the Army, he had to renounce his French citizenship.
On August 8, 2012, Groberg was responsible for protecting a group of personnel including two brigade commanders, three battalion commanders, an Afghan general, two GS-15 State Department individuals, and two majors with his element of six other soldiers. During the advance to a provincial governor’s compound, the patrol was attacked, and Groberg tackled a suicide bomber to distance the attacker from his personnel. The bomb detonated, severely injuring Groberg, but preventing more deaths from the patrol.
Groberg is grateful to VA and the Wounded Warriors Project for helping him during his recovery. In 2015, he transitioned out of the military, and later that year was awarded the Medal of Honor.
After transitioning, Groberg worked with LinkedIn and Boeing, providing leadership as well as advocating for Veterans in the workforce. He currently works at Microsoft and is a motivational speaker for Keppler Speakers. He also wrote an autobiography, Eight Seconds of Courage.
Groberg is also a member of Warriors Ethos, an organization which provides Veterans with the resources and networks to transition into a successful civilian career.
#BtBattle Veteran of the Week:
Army Veteran Tu LamAdditional Links
Call of Duty: Warzone Skin Based off Florent GrobergVA prepares to welcome volunteers back to health care facilitiesVA partners with OnStar to bring suicide prevention services to VeteransVA decreases mail processing time for claims intake VA responds to COVID-19 with schedule revisions to electronic health record implementation -
Blake Stilwell shares his story of starting his career as a combat photographer and eventually becoming a professional writer for Military.com.
Stilwell had only spent a year in the Air Force when he became the youngest and for a time lowest-ranking member of the 1st Combat Camera Squadron. Despite early challenges, he was grateful for the opportunity to learn from his friends and mentors. He said they taught him how to take his work seriously while also having fun. He still considers it one of his best jobs.
After nearly six years in the Air Force, Stilwell left to enroll at Syracuse University, using his GI Bill to graduate from the Television, Radio, and Film program. He used the skills he had learned in the Air Force and at Syracuse in various enterprises, including covering the 2008 Beijing Olympics and working at The White House Communications Agency.
Stilwell eventually returned to Syracuse to study International and Public Relations, and spent some time at the Near East Foundation. In 2015, he was recruited by a friend to become a writer at We Are the Mighty, where he wrote thousands of articles and hosted a podcast with friends. Later in 2019 he became a professional staff writer for Military.com, where he continues to write today alongside other freelance work.
What he learned from his experiences in the military.His post-military education at Syracuse University.His advice for aspiring writers and people transitioning out of the military.How he got on the bad side of the president of the Philippines.
In this episode, Stilwell discusses…#BtBattle Veteran of the Week:
Army Veteran Ambrose BierceAdditional Links:
VA offers debt relief to Veterans through year’s endVA and MAZON partner to support Veteran food security
