Gregory D. Gadson

Last updated

Gregory D. Gadson
Col. Gregory Gadson (10945156725).jpg
Born (1966-02-19) February 19, 1966 (age 58)
Chesapeake, Virginia
AllegianceFlag of the United States.svg  United States
Service/branchFlag of the United States Army.svg  United States Army
USA - Army Field Artillery Insignia.png Field Artillery
Years of service1989–2014
Rank US-O6 insignia.svg Colonel
Unit 32 FA Rgt DUI.jpg 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment
Commands held United States Army Installation Management Command Shoulder Patch.png U.S. Army Garrison: Fort Belvoir
32 FA Rgt DUI.jpg 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment
Battles/wars Operation Desert Storm
Kosovo War
Iraq War
War in Afghanistan
Awards Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star (3 awards)
Purple Heart
Meritorious Service Medal
Army Commendation Medal
Alma mater United States Military Academy (BS)
Webster University (MA)
Georgetown University (MPM)

Gregory Dimitri Gadson (born February 19, 1966) is an American actor and motivational speaker; and a retired colonel in the United States Army and former commander of the U.S. Army Fort Belvoir garrison. [1] He is also a bilateral above-the-knee amputee. He served in the U.S. Army for more than 20 years as a field artillery officer and served on active duty for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Operation Joint Forge, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Contents

Education and military career

Gadson attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, graduating in 1989. He also holds a master's degree in Information systems from Webster University and a master's degree in policy management from Georgetown University. [2] He is a graduate of the Command and General Staff College and the Advanced Field Artillery Officers Course and in 2010, he became an Army War College Fellow at the Institute of World Politics in Washington, D.C.

Assignments

Deployments

Injury

On the night of May 7, 2007, while returning from a memorial service for two soldiers from his brigade, he lost both his legs and severely injured his right arm to a roadside bomb in Baghdad. He became one of the first military personnel to use a next-generation powered prosthetic knee with technology to make it possible for amputees to walk with confidence and with a more natural gait. [4]

Military awards

Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg
Legion of Merit ribbon.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze Star ribbon.svg
Purple Heart ribbon.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Meritorious Service Medal ribbon.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Army Commendation Medal ribbon.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Army Achievement Medal ribbon.svg
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
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Armed Forces Expedtionary Medal ribbon.svg
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
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Southwest Asia Service Medal ribbon (1991-2016).svg
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Afghanistan Campaign ribbon.svg
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Iraq Campaign Medal ribbon.svg
Global War on Terrorism Service ribbon.svg NATO Medal Yugoslavia ribbon bar.svg Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia) ribbon.svg Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) ribbon.svg
Distinguished Service 2 awards Legion of Merit Bronze Star Medal 3 awards Purple Heart
Meritorious Service Medal 4 awards Army Commendation Medal 4 awards Army Achievement Medal 4 awards National Defense Service Medal 2 awards
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal 3 awards Southwest Asia Service Medal 3 awards Afghanistan Campaign Medal Iraq Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal NATO Medal for Service in ex-Yugoslavia Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia) Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)

Gadson is also authorized to wear the Combat Action Badge and the Master Parachutist Badge. [5]

Civil awards

He won one of the prestigious Henry Viscardi Achievement Awards for 2017, bestowed by the Viscardi Center to honour extraordinary leaders with disabilities. [6]

Athletics

Gadson played football at West Point between 1985 and 1988, wearing the No. 98 jersey. In 2007, he was present when the New York Giants beat the Washington Redskins at FedExField at the invitation of West Point classmate Mike Sullivan, who was then on the coaching staff of the New York Giants. This win was the beginning of a 10-game road winning streak and came after Gadson had made an inspirational speech to the team. The streak culminated in the Giants winning Super Bowl XLII [7] and in recognition of his contribution, Gadson received a specially minted Super Bowl ring. [8] Gadson has since remained with the team as a motivational speaker.

Acting career

Gadson made his acting debut in Battleship , a 2012 American science fiction naval war film, as Lieutenant Colonel Mick Canales, playing a war veteran who regains his appetite for life when Oahu is threatened by an alien attack. Director Peter Berg, having seen news articles about Gadson, decided to cast him as an army officer trying to recover from the loss of his legs. [9] In 2023, Gadson made a guest appearance on the television series NCIS: Los Angeles , specifically in the second episode of the fourteenth season titled "Of Value".

Photography

Gadson has been an avid photographer for many years. His work has most recently been featured prominently in Coming Home: Journey, Community, Dialog, a public art project based in New York City that seeks to encourage communication between civilians and those who have served in the US military. [10]

Filmography

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References

  1. "Welcome to Fort Belvoir Home Page!". Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
  2. Wallace, Jennifer. "LEADERSHIP SYMPOSIUM: USMC commandant among speakers – The Citadel – Charleston, SC". citadel.edu. Archived from the original on February 5, 2015. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
  3. "Fort Belvoir Command Group". Fort Belvoir Public Affairs Office. Retrieved June 21, 2014.
  4. "Lt Col Greg Gadson gets Power Knee". Waronterrornews.typepad.com. May 1, 2009. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  5. "COL GREGORY GADSON, USA". HENRY M. JACKSON FOUNDATION CENTER FOR PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  6. "2017 Henry Viscardi Achievement Awards Announced". Global Accessibility News. December 6, 2017.
  7. "Lieutenant colonel Greg Gadson is Giants' inspirational co-captain". NY Daily News. New York. January 21, 2008. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  8. Rutherford, John (May 1, 2008). "'Super Bowl ring minted for a true giant'". NBC News. Archived from the original on April 19, 2012. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
  9. "'Battleship's' real-life soldier Greg Gadson is action tested". Los Angeles Times. May 21, 2012. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
  10. "Coming Home Journey Community and Dialog".