The Holcomb Family

Sgt. First Class Jerry W. Holcomb II wanted to make a career out of his military service. After he enlisted in the U.S. Army in February 2001 and attended basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia, he was sent to Korea for his first duty assignment. It was there that he realized he made the right career choice for his life.

Holcomb served two tours in Iraq from April 2003 to April 2004 and December 2005 to November 2006. His third tour was served in Afghanistan from August 2010 to October 2010. During his first few months in Afghanistan, he suffered concussions during two separate grenade explosions, causing severe headaches and shrapnel wounds to the right side of his face, neck, arm and leg. In October 2010, a third blast threw him out of his guard tower and rendered him unconscious with amnesia upon waking. He was immediately medically evacuated to Germany.  

Once stable, Holcomb returned to the states for treatment at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland before transferring to the Wounded Warrior Unit in Fort Carson, Colorado. He suffers from a variety of health issues as a result of his deployments, including a traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and neck, shoulder and back pain. Holcomb can no longer drive, and after working a desk job at Fort Hood his continuing seizures ultimately rendered him unable to work. Holcomb medically retired from the Army in November 2014.

Holcomb served 13 years in the Army and has been honored with many awards, including two Purple Hearts, two Bronze Star Medals one with Valor, an Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one star and an Iraq Campaign Medal with four stars, just to name a few. Following time in South Carolina, Holcomb moved back to Rockwall, TX with his wife and two children.  Holcomb hopes to attend college and become a coach.

Thanks to Operation FINALLY HOME, Mishler Builders and the Dallas Builders Association, the Holcomb family will have a home to call their own in Rockwall, Texas.