This episode of The Spear is the first of two parts of a conversation with Ryan Hendrickson. In the next episode, you’ll hear a really incredible and vivid combat story from 2016—the story of an event for which Ryan was awarded the Silver Star. But what makes that story even more compelling is that in 2010, Ryan stepped on an IED, and the explosion almost cost him his leg. But he fought through an intense recovery, and had to fight just to stay in the Army. That’s the story you’ll hear in this episode. He talks through the mission and the day he got hit—and he talks about the aftermath.

This episode originally ran last year as the first in a two-part series. Together, they are two of the most powerful stories we’ve featured on The Spear, so after you listen, if you haven’t heard the second episode with Ryan, please find it and listen.

This is the last in a series of our favorite episodes that we’ve re-published so our many new listeners hear them. Be sure to subscribe to The Spear on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts so you don’t miss the new episodes we have planned!