Green Beret, best-selling author and first Special Forces operator to return to combat as an above-the-knee amputee joins distinguished program

WASHINGTON, Nov. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Today, the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation announced that Chief Warrant Officer 3 Nick Lavery joined the Foundation’s Operation Jawbreaker Fellowship Program. Lavery, an active-duty Green Beret with the U.S. Army Special Forces, joins a cohort of uniformed and non-uniformed veterans and Gold Star family members. Lavery is widely recognized as an expert in special operations, intelligence fusion, mission planning and complex problem-solving.

 “As a fellow Green Beret, I understand why Nick Lavery fought so hard to get back to his teammates after he was wounded in Afghanistan. I have profound respect for his service and for what it took to return to combat,” said Michael “Rod” Rodríguez, President and CEO of the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation. “Nick comes from a warrior family. His wife also answered our nation’s call and is a veteran of the Global War on Terrorism. It’s an honor and a privilege to welcome Nick as a Jawbreaker Fellow. I have faith that his voice will help us build a Memorial worthy of those we lost, those who served, and the families who carried the weight of that service alongside them.”

In 2013, while deployed to Afghanistan, Lavery and his detachment were targeted in an insider attack that cost him his leg. After a year of surgeries and rehabilitation at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, he declined military medical retirement and set out to return to operational status. In 2015, after completing a comprehensive assessment of his operational abilities, he rejoined his detachment and redeployed to Afghanistan for full-spectrum combat operations. He is considered the first Special Forces operator to return to combat as an above-the-knee amputee, and he is the first amputee in military history to complete the Special Forces Combat Diver Qualification Course, the Special Forces Warrant Officer Technical and Tactical Certification Course and the Special Operations Combatives Program Instructor Course.

The Foundation’s Jawbreaker Fellowship Program is named after Operation Jawbreaker, the deployment of CIA personnel on the ground in Afghanistan within 15 days of September 11, 2001. The program’s name honors the contributions of non-uniformed personnel in the Global War on Terrorism, fostering unity between military and non-military personnel in support of the Foundation’s mission to build the National Global War on Terrorism Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

“The men and women who answered the call after 9/11, and the families who stood behind them, deserve a place on the National Mall where their service and sacrifice will always be remembered,” said Lavery. “I’m proud to join the Jawbreaker Fellowship and help build a Memorial worthy of the teammates I served alongside and the ones we lost.”

Lavery’s decorations include the Silver Star, three Purple Hearts, three Bronze Stars, Bronze Star with “V” for valor, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, two Meritorious Service Medals, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, two Army Commendation Medals, Army Achievement Medal, the OSS Society Peter Ortiz Award, the Bruce Price Leadership Award and the Special Operations Command Excalibur Award. Outside of uniform, he is the founder and CEO of Quiet Professionals Inc., Precision Components LLC, and MCHN Performance LLC. He is also the best-selling author of “Objective Secure: The Battle-Tested Guide to Goal Achievement.”

The Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation’s Fellowship Program reflects its commitment to representing inclusive experiences and backgrounds. The program plays a crucial role in creating a lasting legacy, ensuring that even after the Memorial is built, awareness of the Global War on Terrorism, its heroes and its profound impact on history continues to grow.

For more information, visit gwotmf.org/fellows.

About the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation

Formed in 2015 by veterans, military spouses, and supportive Americans, the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) Memorial Foundation is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization designated by Congress to lead the effort to plan, fund, and build the GWOT Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Our sole mission is to construct an inclusive place of honor for both uniformed and non-uniformed personnel who served and sacrificed as part of global counterterrorism operations since September 11th, 2001. The Memorial will be a place for Americans to honor, heal, be empowered, and unite. The Memorial is being funded entirely by donations; by law no federal government funding will be used. All donations are 100% tax deductible.

Learn more by visiting our website. And be sure to follow our progress on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

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SOURCE Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation