GET TO KNOW US

My name is Andy Butterworth, I am the founder of Warriors On The Road. I grew up in Grain Valley Missouri, a small town east of Kansas City. Like most kids in rural America, I spent much of my youth outside, both playing and working. My family would go camping at least 3-4 times a year throughout my youth, in addition to the many Boy Scout camping trips. The summer between my junior and senior year of High School, I enlisted in the Army when they told me that I could get paid to jump out of planes, shoot guns, blow stuff up and sleep under the stars! Come on, the greatest job in the world right!? I loved it, even the not-so-great days “under the stars”. I spent the first four years of my service in the “famed” 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, NC. Pretty soon after the events of Sep 11th 2001, I decided to make the move to the North Carolina National Guard, because I wanted to raise a family. As you know, things don’t always go as planned and two short years later I was on my way to Iraq. On November 15th 2004, while on patrol, my Bradley Fighting Vehicle was struck with two Rocket Propelled Grenades. One of which punched through the turret resulting in the loss of my Lieutenants left leg at the knee and my right leg above the knee. By the grace of God and the quick work of my brothers on the ground, we both survived the attack.

After my Injury and retirement, I worked for a few years helping others as a Veteran Service Officer. I got divorced, and spent the next few years headed in the wrong direction. Then I met my wife Julia, and she not only helped me get my life back on track, but she gave me the best gift I could ask for in my three children.