Veterans Retreat to Teach Wounded Iraq War Veteran to Fly

Tennessee Army Vet injured in 2006 suicide bomber attack visits Miami

(MIAMI, FL) Veterans Retreat, Inc., a Miami-based charity benefiting wounded veterans, announced today that the group will host a wounded Tennessee war hero and his wife the weekend of April 18. The veteran will be trained to fly in Miami and will enjoy boating, swimming and other South Florida activities as a guest of Veterans Retreat.

The veteran, whose name is withheld until his visit, hails from Kingsport, Tennessee and served as a Captain in US Army. He was deployed to Iraq as a platoon leader in 2005, and was grievously injured by a suicide bomber in 2006.

While the attack killed the soldier behind him, he survived but sustained multiple wounds including a head injury. As a result, a third of his skull was removed to relieve pressure on his brain. Today he is recovered, but shrapnel remains lodged in his spine. He a lost some hearing and does not feel hot and cold. He is now medically retired from the service.

In the Veterans Retreat Introduction to Aviation and Flight Instruction course, wounded veterans learn the fundamentals of aviation to include licensing requirements, aerodynamics, airspace, weather briefings, traffic patterns, flight planning, medical waivers, careers in aviation and much more.

After this intensive pre-flight briefing, the veteran will fly a Cirrus SR22 aircraft with an FAA certified flight instructor from Opa Locka-based Platinum Aviation. Afterward, he’ll receive his own logbook with instructor endorsements and instruction on how to continue in the field of aviation or further pursue flight training at a community airport in his hometown.

For more information, visit www.VeteransRetreat.com