After 9/11, Leslie volunteered to deploy as part of Operation Joint Forge. Her duties as a public affairs officer involved interfacing with high-level officials, dignitaries, celebrities, and high-ranking military officers. Smith was less than a year into her deployment when she suddenly began to feel excruciating pain in her left leg.

After reviewing the ultrasound on her left leg, the Commanding General told her, “Smith, pack your bags. You’re out of here tonight.” That direct order ran counter to the warrior ethos ingrained in her from the moment she entered the Army—mission first, never quit. Leslie felt demoralized. She didn’t want to quit, didn’t want to be perceived as the “weak female.”

She wanted to complete the mission and do her job. Little did she know, her life was in jeopardy.

Leslie was sent back to the United States for immediate evaluation at Walter Reed Medical Center. What the medical team discovered shocked them: a growing blood clot in Leslie’s leg had broken off into thousands more, spreading throughout her body to vital organs. “They initiated paperwork that gave me 24 hours to live,” she remembered, “I was dying.” Placed on imminent death protocol, doctors rushed to save her life. Her family was called to the hospital in what were assumed to be her final hours. But Leslie was prepared to fight.

After enduring procedure after procedure to reduce the blood clots in her body, Leslie's left leg had to be amputated to save her life. While recovering at Walter Reed, Leslie instantly formed a bond with the other amputees, most whom had been injured in combat zones. Her hard-charging efforts and positive attitude throughout physical therapy sparked a friendly competition between them to forge ahead.

In addition to her amputation, Leslie now lives with near-total vision loss attributed to the lingering effects of the blood clots. The medical experts at Johns Hopkins believe the blood clots were caused by Leslie's exposure to chemical agents and gasses emitted from mass grave sites.