Marlene Rodriguez

Purple Heart recipient Marlene Rodriguez is one of only 500 women who have been awarded the Purple Heart. On her third tour to Iraq, she was hit by an IED, sustaining injuries that forced her to retire from the Army in 2009. This wasn't the first time she was attacked, having survived another IED blast and a firefight on her second tour.

Seeing Marlene Rodriguez today, you might not understand how she earned the prestigious Purple Heart award as she is healthy, athletic and does not wear her scars physically. However, Marlene's war wounds run deep, and through her incredible warrior like heart and strength, she has learned to work through them.

At war, Marlene lost comrades, was in two IED explosions, and developed traumatic brain injuries which left her with a seizure disorder, mood swings and depression. Dealing with these problems was hard, but Marlene is a fighter, and she's come out on top. Using her natural love for sports and the outdoors, Marlene has discovered many ways to control the mental and physical side effects of her time in the army. She's rehabilitated herself, and in doing so, found a love for rehabilitating others effected by war or injury.

Despite her very apparent war wounds — PTSD, seizures, and severe back pain — she still says "I miss it so much...the structure, the discipline, the leadership. The honor."