In what has become an annual tradition of the Annual Awards Dinner, the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce saluted five Purple Heart recipients of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with The American Spirit Award. These remarkable U.S. Marines and their families were honored for their dedication to our country, and for, "demonstrating superior leadership under extremely arduous conditions while facing an enemy of our homeland."
In May 2012, Cpl. Fifer was combat injured in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. She was medically evacuated to Naval Medical Center San Diego, Wounded Warrior Battalion West. In August 2012 she was transferred to Alpha Company Wounded Warrior Battalion West.
Since arriving at Wounded Warrior Battalion, Cpl. Fifer has shown that she is not only a recovering service member she can also be part of Wounded Warrior Battalion's staff and is volunteering to become the bachelor enlisted quarters manager. She continues to motivate younger Marines by volunteering to speak with students at the school of infantry.
Cpl. Fifer is known for her highly motivated attitude and her spirit in never giving up. She was the guest of honor at the 2012 Combat Logistics Battalion 7 Marine Corps Ball and gave the evening's keynote address to more than 1,000 people. This was an almost unheard of achievement for a young corporal and is a testament to how highly regarded she is by her peers and superiors.
Corporal Fifer's personal decorations include: The Purple Heart, The Combat Action Ribbon, Certificate of Commendation, and Meritorious Mast.
Sgt. Arriaga was born in Pasadena, Texas. He joined the Marine Corps on Oct. 22, 2006. Serving as an Arabic interpreter in Iraq, he was wounded in July 2010. Sgt. Arriaga is known for his highly motivated attitude and his spirit to always go above and beyond to help Marines.
His professionalism and contributions to the Marine Corps were recently recognized when he was meritoriously promoted to his current rank of sergeant, becoming the first marine in the history of Wounded Warrior regiment to have achieved that distinction.
His personal decorations include the Purple Heart Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal for Valor, the combat Action Ribbon and the Good Conduct Medal. He is married to his wife, Crystal and they have two children, Nevaeh and Amber. They live in Oceanside. He hopes to remain on active duty and serve in the counter intelligence field.
Sgt. Lindley joined the Marine Corps in December of 2005. He served as an infantryman in combat in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Sgt Lindley arrived at Wounded Warrior Battalion on November of 2012. Upon his arrival at the battalion, Sgt. Lindley's demeanor and attitude was an uplifting sight and he was a model recovering service member for both wounded warrior battalion staff and other wounded, ill and injured Marines. Sgt. Lindley has gone out of his way multiple times to help insure other recovering service members are doing well and are in high spirits.
Sgt. Lindley is well known for his high standards, his patriotism, and his love for the United States Marines Corps and the Marines that serve in it. Sgt. Lindley is also a highly decorated marine including the Purple Heart, the Navy Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal in lieu of one Bronze Star and the Combat Action Ribbon.
He is married to his wife, Gayle.
Sgt. Brewer joined the Marine Corps in May of 2008. He served as a machine gunner in Afghanistan with the 9th Combat Engineer Battalion, where he was wounded on Aug. 9, 2010. In March of 2011, he reported for duty at Camp Pendleton with the lst Maintenance Battalion and was deployed back to Afghanistan in May of 2012. He returned on February of this year.
His personal decorations include the Purple Heart Medal and the Combat Action Ribbon. He is married to his wife, Jillian and they have one son, Gary Dean Brewer III. He intends to remain in the Marine Corps.
A Gold-Star in lieu of Second Award Purple Heart recipient, Staff Sgt. Zambon, joined the U.S. Marines in 2003. He is an explosive technician and has served numerous tours in combat in both Iraq and Afghanistan, where he has been wounded on two different occasions.
In June of 2011 Staff Sgt. Zambon met Tim Medvetz of The Heroes Project in Los Angeles, a non-profit that trains and takes injured service members on mountain climbs of the seven continents respective tallest mountains. Staff Sgt. Zambon set his sights on Africa's Mt. Kilimanjaro and in June of 2012, 18 months after losing both of his legs in a bomb blast, he stood on top of the 19,341-foot mountain and there, in remembrance, buried the dog tags of two close friends that were killed in combat.
Zambon recently married his wife, Marta, and they will soon move to Florida where he will teach Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians at Englin Air Force Base.
In May 2012, Cpl. Fifer was combat injured in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. She was medically evacuated to Naval Medical Center San Diego, Wounded Warrior Battalion West. In August 2012 she was transferred to Alpha Company Wounded Warrior Battalion West.
Since arriving at Wounded Warrior Battalion, Cpl. Fifer has shown that she is not only a recovering service member she can also be part of Wounded Warrior Battalion's staff and is volunteering to become the bachelor enlisted quarters manager. She continues to motivate younger Marines by volunteering to speak with students at the school of infantry.
Cpl. Fifer is known for her highly motivated attitude and her spirit in never giving up. She was the guest of honor at the 2012 Combat Logistics Battalion 7 Marine Corps Ball and gave the evening's keynote address to more than 1,000 people. This was an almost unheard of achievement for a young corporal and is a testament to how highly regarded she is by her peers and superiors.
Corporal Fifer's personal decorations include: The Purple Heart, The Combat Action Ribbon, Certificate of Commendation, and Meritorious Mast.
Sgt. Arriaga was born in Pasadena, Texas. He joined the Marine Corps on Oct. 22, 2006. Serving as an Arabic interpreter in Iraq, he was wounded in July 2010. Sgt. Arriaga is known for his highly motivated attitude and his spirit to always go above and beyond to help Marines.
His professionalism and contributions to the Marine Corps were recently recognized when he was meritoriously promoted to his current rank of sergeant, becoming the first marine in the history of Wounded Warrior regiment to have achieved that distinction.
His personal decorations include the Purple Heart Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal for Valor, the combat Action Ribbon and the Good Conduct Medal. He is married to his wife, Crystal and they have two children, Nevaeh and Amber. They live in Oceanside. He hopes to remain on active duty and serve in the counter intelligence field.
Sgt. Lindley joined the Marine Corps in December of 2005. He served as an infantryman in combat in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Sgt Lindley arrived at Wounded Warrior Battalion on November of 2012. Upon his arrival at the battalion, Sgt. Lindley's demeanor and attitude was an uplifting sight and he was a model recovering service member for both wounded warrior battalion staff and other wounded, ill and injured Marines. Sgt. Lindley has gone out of his way multiple times to help insure other recovering service members are doing well and are in high spirits.
Sgt. Lindley is well known for his high standards, his patriotism, and his love for the United States Marines Corps and the Marines that serve in it. Sgt. Lindley is also a highly decorated marine including the Purple Heart, the Navy Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal in lieu of one Bronze Star and the Combat Action Ribbon.
He is married to his wife, Gayle.
Sgt. Brewer joined the Marine Corps in May of 2008. He served as a machine gunner in Afghanistan with the 9th Combat Engineer Battalion, where he was wounded on Aug. 9, 2010. In March of 2011, he reported for duty at Camp Pendleton with the lst Maintenance Battalion and was deployed back to Afghanistan in May of 2012. He returned on February of this year.
His personal decorations include the Purple Heart Medal and the Combat Action Ribbon. He is married to his wife, Jillian and they have one son, Gary Dean Brewer III. He intends to remain in the Marine Corps.
A Gold-Star in lieu of Second Award Purple Heart recipient, Staff Sgt. Zambon, joined the U.S. Marines in 2003. He is an explosive technician and has served numerous tours in combat in both Iraq and Afghanistan, where he has been wounded on two different occasions.
In June of 2011 Staff Sgt. Zambon met Tim Medvetz of The Heroes Project in Los Angeles, a non-profit that trains and takes injured service members on mountain climbs of the seven continents respective tallest mountains. Staff Sgt. Zambon set his sights on Africa's Mt. Kilimanjaro and in June of 2012, 18 months after losing both of his legs in a bomb blast, he stood on top of the 19,341-foot mountain and there, in remembrance, buried the dog tags of two close friends that were killed in combat.
Zambon recently married his wife, Marta, and they will soon move to Florida where he will teach Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians at Englin Air Force Base.