Tough as They Come

by Travis Mills, Marcus Brotherton, Gary Sinise (Foreword by)

Overview

Thousands have been wounded in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Five have survived quadruple amputee injuries. This is one soldier's story. 
 
Thousands of soldiers die every year to defend their country. United States Army Staff Sergeant Travis Mills was sure that he would become another statistic when, during his third tour of duty in Afghanistan, he was caught in an IED blast four days before his twenty-fifth birthday. Against the odds, he lived, but at a severe cost—Travis became one of only five soldiers from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to survive a quadruple amputation.
 
Suddenly forced to reconcile with the fact that he no longer had arms or legs, Travis was faced with a future drastically different from the one he had imagined for himself. He would never again be able to lead his squad, stroke his fingers against his wife’s cheek, or pick up his infant daughter.
 
Travis struggled through the painful and anxious days of rehabilitation so that he could regain the strength to live his life to the fullest.  With enormous willpower and endurance, the unconditional love of his family, and a generous amount of faith, Travis shocked everyone with his remarkable recovery. Even without limbs, he still swims, dances with his wife, rides mountain bikes, and drives his daughter to school. 
 
Travis inspires thousands every day with his remarkable journey. He doesn’t want to be thought of as wounded.  “I'm just a man with scars,” he says, “living life to the fullest and best I know how.”

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101904800
Publisher:	The Crown Publishing Group
Publication date:	10/25/2016
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	160,204
Product dimensions:	5.19(w) x 8.01(h) x 0.57(d)

About the Author

Retired U.S. Army staff sergeant Travis Mills of the 82nd Airborne is a recalibrated warrior, motivational speaker, and international advocate for veterans and amputees. He is one of only five servicemen from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan ever to survive his injuries as a quadruple amputee. He started the Travis Mills Foundation, which benefits and assists wounded and injured veterans. www.travismills.org

Table of Contents

Foreword Gary Sinese xiii

1 A 15-Minute Helicopter Ride from Kandahar 1

2 Born in a Small Town 16

3 Ten Feet Tall and Bulletproof 33

4 Gunner in a Humvee 46

5 Crazy Little Thing Called Love 56

6 Firefights with the Taliban 70

7 Rooftop Grenades 92

8 Heavy Firefights in BMG 103

9 Our First Home Together 124

10 My Last Deployment 140

11 April 10, 2012 157

12 Pain 175

13 The Coma 186

14 The Floor in Front of Me 205

15 To Walk, To Race 221

16 Our New Home 237

17 Never Give Up. Never Quit 247

About the Travis Mills Foundation 255

Acknowledgments 257

Editorial Reviews

[Mills is] thriving, not just surviving, and inspiring others to overcome their own seemingly insurmountable obstacles.” – TribLive

“A story of hope and resilience, and a reminder that no matter what life may throw at us, as Travis says, as long as we “Never Give Up, Never Quit”, we can achieve anything we set our hearts and minds to. He is quite simply a great American and an example for us all.” – Gary Sinise, Actor, Director, Veterans Advocate and founder of Gary Sinise Foundation
 
 “This book exemplifies the qualities that made Travis an outstanding soldier: it is gutsy and honest, filled with humor even in the darkest moments, and always driven by a love for both family and country.” – Troy Aikman, NFL Hall Fame Quarterback
 
"The problem with guys like Travis, is they make guys like me look like lazy whiners. What this man did for our country is heroic. What he sacrificed is unimaginable. And what he's written is simply unforgettable. Read it. I promise you'll feel better about whatever ails you." – Mike Rowe, TV host, writer, narrator, producer, and actor 

From the Publisher