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Afghanistan Knocked Me Down–Faith Picked Me Up

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Afghanistan Knocked Me Down–Faith Picked Me Up
"Pray." Cpl. Seung Hyun Park/DoD
Battlefields Staff
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Commentary

On April 25, 2012, I experienced a rare, but significant tactical defeat in Afghanistan. Since then, my career and outlook stem from the events of that day. I was the Battle Company commander in the 1-508 Parachute Infantry Regiment, leading my Soldiers through a seven-month deployment in a highly contested area of Kandahar Province in the southern part of the country.

Mike Kelvington grew up in Akron, Ohio. He is an infantry officer in the U.S. Army with experience in special operations, counterterrorism, and counterinsurgency operations over twelve deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, including with the 75th Ranger Regiment. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Valor and two Purple Hearts for wounds sustained in combat. He is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, a Downing Scholar, and holds Master's degrees from both Princeton and Liberty Universities.
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