After the USS Cole bombing, Dwyer enlisted in the military in October 2000 and trained at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. He was deployed to Iraq in January 2001 and served as a Humvee turret gunner. He returned from Iraq in 2007 after suffering injuries to his left side from an IED shrapnel. Dwyer later encountered a major he had previously worked with, who encouraged him to re-enlist and serve in Afghanistan.[2] He began his second tour in 2010 as a civil affairs specialist for the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines.[3]
On May 22, 2011, Dwyer was clearing a compound in Sangin when he stepped on an IED. The blast destroyed his left leg above his knee, damaged his right leg and arm to the point where he lost most feeling on that side, and resulted in other injuries to his abdomen and torso.[2][4] Four other Marines were also injured in the blast.[5]
To prevent infection, Dwyer underwent surgery every fortnight for five weeks followed by reconstructive surgery.[6] A titanium rod was inserted into his left femur, a process called osseointegration, to allow for a prosthetic leg to be inserted.[7] He spent four years rehabilitating at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, undergoing over 50 procedures.[3] Other surgeries included installing a post to stabilize his prosthesis, reducing chronic pain, and improving his mobility.[8]
Racing career
Dwyer entered track days at after returning from Iraq in 2007 before attending the Skip Barber Racing School.[6] Despite his amputated leg, Dwyer found the injuries were "not bad enough to where I can't race anymore."[6] He began using a special prosthesis that attached to the clutch pedal via hook-and-loop fastener when driving; when switching with a co-driver, he would remove the split pin joining the prosthesis and the clutch.[6][5]
Dwyer entered the 2014 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge's ST class on a part-time schedule in the No. 27 Mazda MX-5, which he shared with Long.[5] His professional racing debut took place at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, where he retired after crashing with Lee Carpentier.[10] In May, he and Long won at Lime Rock Park.[2] Dwyer scored a second victory in 2015 at Laguna Seca after teammate Aaron Carbonell passed Long on the final lap; Sgt. Aaron Denning, who rescued Dwyer after the 2011 Afghanistan explosion, was Dwyer's guest of honor at the race weekend and waved the green flag.[11]
Additional surgeries and physical therapy prevented Dwyer from racing in late 2017 and for much of 2018. He made his return as part of the 2018 ChampCar Endurance Series.[7]
Personal life
He met his wife Meghan during his recovery at Walter Reed.[3]
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