Retired U.S. Army Captain Nick Vogt grew up in a small Catholic community in north central Ohio. He is the oldest of five siblings. At a very young age, Nicholas knew he wanted to join the military. He was accepted to West Point in 2006 where he began his formal military training.

During his deployment to Afghanistan in 2011, Nicholas served as a Platoon Leader. On November 12, 2011, he and his team were on foot patrol when they discovered a weapons cache. While investigating, Nicholas stepped on an improvised explosive device (IED).

Immediately Nicholas was rushed to Kandahar, a city in Afghanistan, for treatment. In late November, he was transported to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for extensive surgeries.

Nicholas suffered both leg amputations at his hips, severe brain injury, and a seizure disorder. His recovery was extremely difficult with many complications preventing him from adapting to a wheelchair or prosthetics. He became frustrated and closed off.

The Gary Sinise Foundation is proud to have built Nick a specially adapted smart home to give Nicholas the accessibility he needs to be independent. Nick and Lauren's family is continuing to grow today, as they're expecting a third child in August 2022.