SGT ERICH ELLIS, USMC

​​SGT ELLIS WAS WOUNDED IN AFGHANISTAN FROM AN IED IN 2012.  HE IS AN AMPUTEE FROM BELOW THE KNEE ON ONE LEG. AFTER 10 SURGERIES, HE HAS JUST FINISHED HIS REHAB AT THE CENTER FOR THE INTREPID IN SAN ANTONIO.  HE WILL BE MEDICALLY RETIRED IN THE SPRING OF 2013 AFTER EIGHT YEARS OF SERVICE.  HE COMPLETED THREE TOURS IN IRAQ AS A MARINE THEN TRANSITIONED TO MARSOC.  HE IS A GRADUATE OF OVER A DOZEN SPECIAL OPS SCHOOLS AND WAS INJURED IN AFGHANISTAN WHILE ON A MARSOC DEPLOYMENT.

CAPT SARAH EVANS, USAF

​​CAPT EVANS’ LEG WAS AMPUTATED IN APRIL 2012 FROM THE HIP DUE TO CANCER.  SHE IS STILL IN REHABILITATION AT THE CENTER FOR THE INTREPID IN SAN ANTONIO. SHE WAS A FINANCE OFFICER AND AFTER FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE, SHE WILL BE DISCHARGED FROM THE AIR FORCE IN SUMMER 2013 .  SHE IS A CITADEL GRADUATE AND WAS DEPLOYED IN AFGHANISTAN WHEN SHE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER. SHE IS MARRIED TO AIR FORCE CAPTAIN JOE EVANS, WHO WILL ALSO BE CLIMBING. SHE HAS RECENTLY PARTICIPATED ON THE AIR FORCE TEAM FOR THE WARRIOR GAMES IN COLORADO SPRINGS.

SGT ORLANDO GILL, US ARMY

​ORLANDO WAS DISCHARGED FROM THE ARMY EIGHT YEARS AGO, AFTER 15 YEARS AS AN ARTILLERYMAN.  HE IS AN AMPUTEE FROM JUST ABOVE THE KNEE ON ONE LEG,  AND WAS WOUNDED BY AN RPG IN IRAQ.  HE WORKS FOR DISABLED SPORTS USA AND REPRESENTS THE ORGANIZATION AT THE CENTER FOR THE INTREPID IN SAN ANTONIO.  HE HELPS DISABLED VETS OBTAIN SCUBA CERTIFICATIONS. HE COMPLETES THE 25 MILE BATAAN DEATH MARCH IN NEW MEXICO ANNUALLY.

SGT KISHA MAKERNEY, OKLAHOMA ARMY GUARD

KISHA SUFFERED HER INJURY IN A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT IN OKLAHOMA WHILE NOT ON ACTIVE DUTY. SHE IS AN AMPUTEE FROM THE KNEE DOWN ON ONE LEG AND HAS WORKED TO BE REINSTATED IN THE OKLAHOMA GUARD AFTER HER INJURY. SHE HAS SINCE SERVED IN IRAQ FOR THE ARMY GUARD AS A COMBAT ENGINEER. SHE IS THE FIRST FEMALE TO RETURN TO COMBAT AS AN AMPUTEE. KISHA IS A RENOWNED SHOOTER AND WAS SELECTED TO BE ON THE US ARMY MARKSMANSHIP TEAM. SHE WAS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE WORLD CLASS ATHLETE PROGRAM AND SHE WAS ON THE UNITED STATES SHOOTING TEAM.  SHE IS STILL IN THE OKLAHOMA ARMY GUARD.

CPL NICK PERALES, USMC

​NICK IS AN AMPUTEE FROM BELOW THE KNEE ON ONE LEG. HE SUFFERED HIS INJURY FROM AN IED EXPLOSION IN AFGHANISTAN IN FEB 2011. HE IS STILL IN REHABILITATION AT THE CENTER FOR THE INTREPID IN SAN ANTONIO.  HE WAS A MARINE SNIPER AND WILL BE DISCHARGED IN SUMMER 2013 AFTER SIX YEARS OF SERVICE. HE HAS RECENTLY COMPETED IN THE SPARTAN RACE IN COLORADO AND IS WORKING ON HIS COLLEGE DEGREE IN SAN ANTONIO.

STEVE MARTIN

​​STEVE WAS A MILITARY POLICEMAN AND SPENT A TOTAL OF EIGHT YEARS IN THE ARMY, BOTH ACTIVE DUTY AND IN THE GUARD. HE SUFFERED HIS INJURY FROM AN IED EXPLOSION WHILE RIDING IN A HUMMER IN AFGHANISTAN IN 2008. AS A CONTRACTOR FOR THE STATE DEPARTMENT, HE WAS IN AFGHANISTAN FOR ALMOST SIX MONTHS AND WAS TASKED TO TRAIN THE AFGHAN POLICE IN THE FIELD WITH THE US ARMY. HE BECAME A DOUBLE AMPUTEE AFTER 14 SURGERIES IN 2009, LOSING BOTH LEGS BELOW THE KNEE.  STEVE CURRENTLY WORKS AS A POLICE OFFICER IN PHOENIX. HE HAS CLIMBED MT. DENALI AND PARTICIPATES IN TRIATHLONS .

Wingman Climbers

LT COL STEVE CONNOLLY, USAF

​STEVE IS A 1985 GRADUATE OF THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY AND A FORMER USAF F-16 AND A-10 PILOT. HE IS A DESERT STORM VETERAN WHO RETIRED FROM THE AIR FORCE RESERVES AND IS A CURRENT AMERICAN AIRLINES PILOT.  STEVE IS ORGANIZING THE KILIMANJARO WARRIORS EXPEDITION.

LCDR MARK HENISER, USN

​MARK IS RETIRED FROM THE NAVY AND IS CURRENTLY A PHYSICAL THERAPIST AT THE CENTER FOR THE INTREPID IN SAN ANTONIO, WHERE HE HAS BEEN SINCE 2005. HE HELPED OPEN THE CENTER FOR THE INTREPID IN 2007.  MARK HAS HELPED IN THE REHABILITATION OF FIVE OF THE DISABLED VETERANS ON THE CLIMB.

CAPT JOE EVANS, USAF

​JOE IS MARRIED TO SARAH EVANS, MENTIONED ABOVE. HE IS A 2006 GRADUATE OF THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY AND A USAF HELICOPTER PILOT. JOE IS STILL ON ACTIVE DUTY STATIONED AT RANDOLPH AFB AS AN ACADEMICS INSTRUCTOR.