Tyson Quink
Tyson played football for West Point and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant after graduation. Soon after his unit was deployed to Afghanistan, his platoon was ambushed.
Tyson After Explosion
A Military Journey That Started with Football
Tyson’s focus as an eighteen-year-old was how to play football in college. When he got a recruiting call from a coach at West Point, he wasn’t sure what to do. “My initial feelings were that of excitement coupled with a little bit of fear of the rigors of West Point and entering the military during a time of war.” Tyson ultimately decided on West Point and after graduation, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Field Artillery. In March 2011 Tyson deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan.
“I realized, or at least thought at the time, I was dead."
“We were headed out to a checkpoint. Just before moving, I mumbled, ‘It’s so dark. Someone is going to get hurt tonight.’ Soldiers found multiple explosive devices, or IEDs, in the area, so we called for a soldier with a metal detector. I took a step back to let him pass and my foot triggered an IED.” The explosion threw Tyson into the air and left him in a dark void. “I realized, or at least thought at the time, I was dead."
"I lifted my head and could see a few inches of my tibia from my right leg protruding out the bottom of my leg to where my foot should have been. Every piece of tissue from my foot to about four inches above my ankle was gone. The blast also took about two inches above the ankle on my left leg.” Tyson was placed in a medical coma and operated on twice before being transported to Walter Reed hospital back in the United States.
"I had no context of what being an amputee means"
“Like most new amputees, my recovery was a challenge because I had no context of how or what being an amputee meant. I also had to have a significant mental mindset shift. I just left a combat zone, where I was responsible for the soldiers’ lives in my platoon, and now I was dependent on everyone around me for essential functions of life.”
After regular surgeries to treat infections and burns, Tyson decided he wanted to go back to West Point to finish out his military service. “I didn’t want to be known as a wounded veteran. I wanted to be known for the family I have and the work I do.” Today, Tyson is retired from the military and enjoys a fulfilling career supporting our nation’s defense in addressing national security problems.
A Home Where Tyson Can Enjoy Daily Family Routines
A specially adapted smart home will allow Tyson to better participate in his family’s daily routines. “My wife and kids are a big part of my life. It’s been incredible to watch my kids grow. My wife has been by my side the whole time, taking care of me when I was physically unable and helping with day-to-day tasks that are still sometimes difficult for an amputee to do. I don’t know if I would have made it as far without her.”
The Gary Sinise Foundation looks forward to building Tyson and his family a home where his children can grow up and achieve their dreams and he can more easily and fully participate in the sports, activities and daily routines his family enjoys.
