Sergeant First Class Juanita Wilson is already a patriot for what happened to her and her unit while serving in Iraq. What happened after is what makes SFC Wilson a remarkable inspiration.  SPC Wilson, serving with the Army Reserve 411th Engineering Battalion based out of Hilo, Hawaii, was seriously wounded when her convoy was ambushed by a roadside bomb and rocket propelled grenade attacked in August of 2004.  After losing her left arm in the attack, SFC Wilson repeatedly focused her concern and efforts on other injured members of her convoy and unit until help finally arrived.

That selfless dedication to others and her commitment to her nation didn't end on that Iraqi road in August 2004. After returning to Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, she went through extensive rehabilitation and had time to reflect on her many options.  Throughout continued painful surgeries and long hours of intense rehabilitation, Wilson persevered with the same Warrior ethos she showed in the summer of 2004.  Not only has she started a new chapter in life through her recovery, she continued another by reenlisting on the steps at the Capitol Building on April 6, 2006.

SFC Wilson's complete dedication to duty in the face of devastating injuries and personal hardships make her an inspiration to the tens of thousands of service members who choose to reenlist every year to serve their country in the Global War on Terror.   The Army states that two out every three eligible soldiers continue to reenlist.  Going into the 3rd Quarter of the fiscal year 2006, the Army was 15% ahead of its re-enlistment goal of 34,668.  And approaching May 2006 their numbers have topped 40,000.