Scott West, Army (Ret.)

Army Specialist Scott West was only 17 when he joined the Army and went through Basic Training, but his life was rough from the start. West was born on August 24, 1985, in Columbus, Kansas, to parents addicted to crack; he was immediately placed in foster care and moved from home to home until he was adopted at age 8. Shortly after, he and his new family moved to Branson, Missouri, where they lived until he graduated high school in 2003.

West joined the Army, and after graduating Basic Training, went to Ft. Bliss in Texas, followed by Ft. Benning and Ft. Stewart in Georgia. He was then stationed at Camp Anaconda in Ballad, Iraq, conducting raids, route clearance, and cache searches as well as Quick Reaction Force (QRF) missions.

On December 16, 2005, SPC West was driving the lead vehicle pulling QRF and passed the previous days’ Improvised Explosive Device (IED) site where his buddy died. West went around it to avoid any new IEDs, but hit one; the blast hit the driver’s side, and blew the truck down a ravine. West’s passengers were ok, but he lost both lower legs in the blast, and also sustained a severely crushed femur, collapsed lungs, and lost 45% of his blood mass. He was transported to Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) and had 38 surgeries in 30 days. Despite his severe injuries, SPC West was walking without assistance within 3 months. In February 2007, West medically retired and left WRAMC.

But that was just the beginning of his recovery. Once back home, West became addicted to drugs, and after 6 years, he was divorced and had no contact with his young son. He decided to get help, and checked into a rehab program, but relapsed a few months later and landed himself in jail. He went to rehab again, this time successfully completing the program. While in rehab, he reconnected with a soldier that helped save his life and who introduced him to Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA). West credits SDIA with saving his life, helping him get back into society and realizing his true potential.

West is now an Outdoor Adventure Coordinator for SDIA, and can’t thank them enough for giving him a chance. Every day he is doing what they did for him - giving Veterans and First Responders a chance to get up off that couch.

He is married to Bridgette, and has two sons, Kipton and Jackson.