HELL’S HIGHWAY: An Air Force Combat Trucker Story
Air Force Staff Sgt. Christopher Wiedmer, a vehicle operator assigned to the 773d Logistics Readiness Squadron at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, poses for a portrait, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016. Wiedmer received the Purple Heart after he was wounded by an improvised explosive device, and suffered a traumatic brain injury and severe burns, in Iraq during his 2011 deployment in support of Operation New Dawn while serving as a lead vehicle commander with the 424th Medium Truck Detachment. Wiedmer stresses how important resiliency was to his recovery, and finds fulfillment in mentoring young Airmen saying he strives to live up to the noncommissioned officer standards he was shown as a junior Airman. (U.S. Air Force photo/Justin Connaher)
