Our Heroes
B.J. Jackson
Robert "B.J." Jackson was born on the south side of Des Moines, IA, on June 12, 1981. He enlisted in the Iowa National Guard in October 1999. He underwent Basic Training at Fort Benning, GA and Advanced Training at Fort Lee, VA. He was deployed to Iraq in April 2003 with the 186th MP (Military Police) Company, as a unit armor performing mostly MP duties. On August 7, 2003, his first day off in over a month, the Humvee that B.J. was driving through the city of Baghdad, hit a landmine. After being stabilized, B.J. was sent to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, TX to begin treatment for severe burns and the loss of both legs below the knees.
B.J. joined CSAH in 2004 as a National Spokesman. While he now jokes that he'll probably never have a career in roofing again, he is able to inspire other wounded services members with his belief that no matter what the circumstance may be, there are no limits to what a person can do.
Currently, B.J. lives in Iowa with his wife, Abby, and their three children.