CRESTVIEW — When Jesica Bullock began seeing her husband, Jared, 11 years ago, "I was excited to be dating a soldier," she said.

Three months after the couple married, Jared deployed for 15 months to Iraq, and her excitement turned to fear.

"But I think that time made me grow up and just appreciate what he was doing and not to worry every day about what we couldn't prevent," the 32-year-old said.

The unpreventable — and unfathomable — happened Nov. 13, 2013, when an IED hit Jared and two teammates on routine patrol. One teammate was killed, another was seriously injured, and Jared lost his right arm above the elbow and right leg above the knee.

"I never thought to myself that this could happen to us," Jesica said. "I didn't think it could ever happen to us."

'CAPABLE OF MORE'

Jared said he and his twin, Kyle, enlisted in the Army after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

"I joined the Infantry and was right in the middle of it all," the 30-year-old said. "I knew that I wanted to become Special Forces, because I knew I was capable of more and wanted to make a greater impact."

The Southern Illinois native, who was assigned to the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), left Fort Bragg, North Carolina and bought a house in Crestview in June 2011 after the 7th Group Compound opened, Jesica said.

But last year's IED injuries required a temporary change of address.

The Bullocks and their 5-year-old son, Aidan, currently live in a San Antonio, Texas apartment while Jared receives physical therapy at the Center for the Intrepid. Jared initially received treatment at San Antonio Military Medical Center on Fort Sam Houston.

STAYING POSITIVE

Despite his amputations and downtime in hospital beds, Jared has stayed just as positive as photos of him wearing an always present smile on his Facebook page show, Jesica said.

And he's stayed active.

Jared "participated in a 10-mile Tough Mudder in West Virginia in September and a Spartan Sprint in Dallas at the end of October," Jesica said. "The pictures that you see on our support page are real. He doesn't ever have a bad day."

Support from friends, family members and 7th Group teammates fuel him, said Jared, whose "Jared Bullock-Support Page" on Facebook displays the hashtag #NeverGiveUp after a lengthy paragraph explaining his ordeal.

"My thing is, I always think that you can either let your injuries define you or you can define yourself," Jared said.

GETTING STRONGER

Occupational and physical therapy have gradually helped Jared regain his stamina, Jesica said.

"In the beginning, he worked on core strength, and learning to stand and balance on one leg due to not having prosthetics," she said. "That then progressed to getting his right leg prosthetic and learning to walk, and then by August he was working on using his new running leg …

"His progression to today has led him to be able to do one armed pushups and one legged squats."

Jared is wrapping up physical therapy, and plans to return to Crestview by mid-January, he said.

If the family didn't have to be in San Antonio, they'd be in Crestview on Sunday, when U.S. Gold Gymnastics and Cheerleading Academy will present a Wounded Warrior Meet, with proceeds benefiting the Bullocks.

SUNDAY BENEFIT

Kathy Dwyer, owner of Crestview's U.S. Gold, lost her brother, Christopher Kiernan, on May 6, 2007. The Army tank commander died after a sniper shot him in the heart during his second mission in Iraq.

So when the academy started having fundraisers, Dwyer wanted to give back to the military.

Sunday's Wounded Warrior Meet will feature 50 gymnasts on the recreational competition and bronze teams. The 5- to 6-year-old athletes will present floor, beam, bar and vault routines, according to office manager Nicolette Buddles.

For some of the gymnasts, it's their first competition, Dwyer said. But they've had plenty of practice; "they start training as soon as they're walking."

The public can attend the meet for a donation to the Bullocks.

The couple said they appreciate the gesture.

"We … absolutely love the support and love that we feel from everyone, and appreciate it more than anyone could imagine," Jesica said.

"It definitely has made this year a lot easier for us as a family."

—

WHAT: Wounded Warrior Meet, a gymnastics competition benefiting Jared Bullock

WHEN: 1-5 p.m. Sunday

WHERE: U.S. Gold Gymnastics and Cheerleading Academy, 2118 3rd Ave., Crestview

—

Thoughts? Email tboni@crestviewbulletin.com or tweet@cnbeditor.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Wounded soldier plans return home to Crestview; benefit scheduled

CRESTVIEW — A Wounded Warrior Meet gymnastics competition is set for Dec. 14 from 1-5 p.m. at the U.S. Gold Gymnastics Academy, 2118 3rd Ave., Crestview.

The event, in which 50 gymnasts from the Destin and Crestview U.S. Gold academies will compete, is a fundraiser for 7th Special Forces soldier Jared Bullock, of Crestview, and his family. Donations will be accepted during the event.

Bullock was wounded in Afghanistan and is undergoing rehabilitation in a Houston hospital.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Wounded Warrior competition this weekend benefits 7th Special Forces soldier

Army Pvt. Dominique S. Gaines has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C.

During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values, physical fitness, and received instruction and practice in basic combat skills, military weapons, chemical warfare and bayonet training, drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, map reading, field tactics, military courtesy, military justice system, basic first aid, foot marches, and field training exercises.

Gaines' father, Clarence Gaines, and aunt, Josephine Powell, live in Crestview.

He is a 2014 Crestview High School graduate.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Gaines completes U.S. Army basic training

Army Pvt. Kayla M. Oeth has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C.

During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values, and received instruction and practice in basic combat skills, military weapons, chemical warfare and bayonet training, drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, map reading, field tactics, military courtesy, military justice system, basic first aid, foot marches and field training exercises.

Oeth 's father is John D. Kuehl of Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Oeth completes U.S. Army basic training

Samuel Hunker has received an Army ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps) scholarship to attend Northwest Florida State College.

Scholarships are awarded on a merit basis, reflecting academic achievement, extracurricular activities, physical fitness, specific performance or accomplishment, leadership abilities, and personal interviews. Scholarship recipients are enrolled as members of the Army ROTC battalion at their colleges.

The scholarship entitlements include tuition and fees, as well as an annual book allowance, and a monthly stipend for up to 10 months of each school year the scholarship is in effect.

Upon graduation from college and completion of the ROTC program requirements, the student receives a bachelor's degree and a commission as a second lieutenant in the Army. All scholarship students incur a military service obligation of eight years, which may be fulfilled by either serving on active duty or in the Reserve Components of the Army.

He is a 2008 graduate of Crestview High School.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Hunker gets Northwest Florida State College scholarship toward Army commission

BAKER — American military members have more effective armament because of a Baker man's efforts.

Dr. Don Grundel, the Air Force’s 2013 Senior Civilian Scientist and Engineer of the Year, has a number of achievements including:

• Making a $50 tweak to the 2,000-pound bunker buster BLU-109 bomb. The change increased its fuze survivability against hard targets by 80 percent, which allowed the bomb to more effectively burrow into the target before exploding

• Developing and delivering in 18 months more than 500 BLU-129s, a fiberglass-clad bomb that, unlike metal-clad bombs, is designed to destroy targets but with limited collateral damage

• Qualifying a new type of 25-mm tungsten penetrating ammunition for the F-35 “Lightning II” aircraft undergoing testing at Eglin.

Gen. Janet Wolfenbarger, head of the Air Force Materiel Command, presented Grundel with the 2013 Senior Civilian Scientist and Engineer of the Year award during an Oct. 23 ceremony at Eglin Air Force Base.

Grundel, whose duties at Eglin include facility designer, construction manager and positions in intelligence, weaponeering and acquisition, credited his colleagues for their projects’ success.

“This award was simply not possible without the great leadership and the wonderfully talented team members I have had,” he said in an interview with Jasmine Porterfield, an Eglin public affairs officer.

“Sure, the award is appreciated, but that is not what makes coming to work so great. The greatest reward is delivering capability to the war-fighter and having fun doing it.”

When not building better bombs and bullets, Grundel enjoys life on the Baker farm where he lives with his wife, Bonnie, a trio of rare Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs named Peter, Peaches and Pansy, and a host of horses, Big Black and Berkshire pigs, and chickens.

“I’m real proud of him,” Bonnie Grundel said of her husband.

Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Baker resident named Air Force's top civilian scientist

CRESTVIEW — Retired Air Force Col. Edward Hubbard, a Vietnam veteran, received near-daily beatings as a prisoner of war.

But he survived.

“I sat down and made a conscious decision that I was going to beat this,” Hubbard said.

See 25 photos of the Veterans Day event

He and some fellow American prisoners persevered by relying on their faith, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, saying the 23rd Psalm and softly singing “God Bless America."

They sang it softly, he said, “because we were already in enough trouble with our captors.”

Hubbard related the experience during Tuesday's Veterans Day Wall Ceremony at the Okaloosa County Veterans Memorial.

Veterans Day “is not a somber day of remembrance but a day to honor our veterans," AmVets Post 35 Cmdr. Craig Sarrasin said.

After he led the audience in patriotic song, representatives of area veterans organizations and the Crestview Elks Lodge placed wreaths before the veterans memorial.

Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Vietnam veteran recalls being a prisoner of war (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

CRESTVIEW — Students who attended Veterans Day ceremonies are more aware — and appreciative — of American military veterans' sacrifices.

At Southside Center, future veterans in Crestview High School's ROTC battalion received high-fives from elementary students Friday morning after presentation of the colors by the ROTC color guard, the Pledge of Allegiance and singing of patriotic songs.

More Veterans Day coverage>>42 photos from Crestview's Veterans Day Parade

Watch video from Southside Center's Veterans Day ceremony

“I just feel good inside,” junior Devon Gillings said as he watched youngsters proudly wave their American flags.

“It makes you want to work with the kids,” said sophomore Hope Killion, who, like Devon, intends to enter the armed forces after graduation.

PATRIOTIC PUPS

Patriotic Pups, a student group at Bob Sikes Elementary School, decorated stars bearing veterans’ names for the Veterans Honor Wall in the cafeteria.

“We got to draw the stars,” third-grader Skylar Gatlin said, as she and fellow Patriotic Pup Kiki Matute guided guests into the cafeteria.

Navy Chief Petty officer Joseph Clairmont settled down to eat with his son, Wesley, a fifth-grader, and said the boy’s grandfather was also a CPO.

“We’re a Navy family,” Clairmont said, noting the predominance of Air Force and Army green in the room. “We’re kind of the minority.”

After the breakfast, fifth-graders directed by music teacher Gayle Vickers sang a medley of patriotic songs.

“The kids support our veterans as much as they can,” said mother and Air Force wife Angel Wormley, who ate breakfast with her husband, Senior Master Sgt. Earl Wormley and their daughter Jalee, a Bob Sikes third-grader.

FLAG RETIREMENT

Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Douglas Myers Sr., a World War II, Korea and Vietnam War veteran, was the guest of honor for Walker Elementary School’s Monday morning Veterans Day program.

A uniformed representative of each military branch, including Marine Master Sgt. Kevin Glydwell — representing the corps on its 239th birthday — joined him.

It was poignant for assistant principal Lorna Carnley, who, as the Air Force veteran's daughter, accepted a new American flag to fly outside the school from 34-year Air Force veteran Sgt. Darren Cogan of AmVets Post 35.

The presentation followed a solemn retirement ceremony for the school’s weathered, faded and tattered flag. Pack 732 Cub Scouts and Walker students Michael Wing, Alex Martin, Justin Walker and Sammy Richards participated in the ceremony under Scout Master Aaron Tew's direction.

It was the first time many Walker students and educators witnessed a flag retirement ceremony, during which the old flag was cut into four pieces and burned in a brazier.

 “We shouldn’t be sad about the retirement of our friend," Tew said of the flag. "We are not burning him in anger; we are only releasing his spirit so that he can continue to serve us in our thoughts.”

Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Students learn respect for veterans, Old Glory (PHOTOS)