My name is Jeffrey Grieves.  I joined the U. S. Army in November 1982 in the Military Police field. In June of 1988, I attended the very first Special Forces Assessment and Selection class. I completed the Special Forces Qualification Course and became a Special Forces Communications Sergeant in 1989. I was initially assigned to 10th Special Forces Group (A) Several years later I was assigned to 3rd Special Forces Group (A). I completed operations throughout the European Theater, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. I did this until my ETS in 1994. In 1994 I moved to Richmond Virginia.  There I joined the 20th Special Forces Group (A). This is a National Guard Group. With all my active duty experience, I shortly found myself back in Central America (Guatemala). I joined the National Guard to get away from all the deployments and now found myself back in the same position, so this only lasted for 4 years, until 1998.

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After September 11, 2001, due to my qualifications (SF Communications) and only being recently released from the military, I was notified that I would be re-activated. I was given the option to go active duty or my last unit of National Guard. I chose National Guard. In December 2002, I was mobilized and in January 2003 I was in Afghanistan for my first tour. There I received my first injury (lung injury, I did not know the severity at the time) but remained until the end of the tour. When I returned, I spent all of 2004 at Walter Reed Army Hospital, but they could not diagnose anything. They were going to medically board me, but my unit was mobilizing again to go back to Afghanistan. I told them No thanks to the medical board and went back to Afghanistan with my unit. Over the next 8 years, I deployed once to Iraq, 1 more to Afghanistan, and 5 times to Africa for a total of 8 combat tours. With some short tours to other locations in-between.

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I retired in June 2013 and after a 4 ½ year battle with the VA, I am 100% disabled (combat related). Now, due to my injuries (TBI with headaches that do not go away, PTSD, Severe lung diseases), I am unable to work. (Those are just some of the injuries). I currently still live in Richmond with my wife, a cat and a dog, and a horse. The horse is boarded elsewhere and not on our property.

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My badges and medals awarded are: Combat Infantry Badge, 2 Bronze Stars, 2 Joint Service Commendation Medals, 1 Joint Service Achievement Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal W/Campaign Star, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terror Medal, NATO Medal, French Bronze Star, German Schutzenschnur-Gold Medal, Global War on Terror Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal w/Campaign Star, Humanitarian service Medal, Army Good Conduct Nedal-3rd Award, Army Reserve Component Overseas Training Ribbon, Armed Forces Reserve Medal W/M Device, Overseas Service Ribbon (3rd award), Joint Meritorious Unit Award (2nd Award).