Sergeant Chuck Bartles was a 26 year old Army Reservist part of the 418th Civil Affairs Battalion, serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004. He was injured when a roadside bomb rocked his vehicle, spraying shrapnel. One soldier died and two others were injured. His right arm was shattered and had to be removed above the elbow. He also suffered injuries to his leg and face.

Amputees are usually medically discharged from the Army with no questions asked. Instead, SGT Bartles twice appealed to a medical board at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Satisfied that he could perform his duties, they agreed to let him re-enlist.

He started a Russian language course at Fort Bragg, N.C., eight months after his injury. He went on to earn a B.A. in Russian from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, an M.A. in Russian and Eastern European Studies from the University of Kansas, and a Ph.D. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Today, Dr. Bartles is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Reserves and is an analyst and Russian linguist with the Foreign Military Studies Office (FMSO) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas focused on Russia.