Home » Archives » "Nikiski man mends, re-enlists after injury in Iraq"

Nikiski man mends, re-enlists after injury in Iraq

Dec-30-2006 » Filed Under: 172nd SBCT

By JOSEPH ROBERTIA, Peninsula Clarion

KENAI, Alaska (AP) - They say it takes more than just strength, courage and determination to be a soldier. It also takes an indelible resolve in the face of adversity, which a soldier from Nikiski proved he had this past year.

Chris Bauer, 23, of Nikiski, was seriously injured in April when a suicide bomber detonated himself near Bauer while he was on foot out of his Stryker vehicle as part of a dismounted patrol in Rawah, Iraq.

The blast injured Bauer and a fellow soldier from Fort Wainwright assigned to the 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, while a third soldier involved in the blast, Kenneth Hess, 22, of Asheville, N.C., was killed.

Bauer said he felt lucky to have survived the incident, but was a man of few words when it came to talking about the events of that fateful day.

"It's just one of those things that happened, that you deal with and learn from. I'll just have to keep a sharper eye next time," he said.

While Bauer was humble about the incident, his injuries were quite serious. He received numerous lacerations to his head and neck, and Bauer had black eyes from the pressure of the explosion against the goggles he was wearing.

"I came back (to the U.S.) and recouped. Everything is pretty much healed up now. Some numbness in my cheek is about the worst of it, and I've still got shrapnel in my neck, ear and eye brow," he said.

Bauer was born in Anchorage and attended grade school in Kenai and high school in Nikiski before joining the Army in 2001. He was serving his second tour of duty in Iraq when he was hurt.

His injuries didn't damage his enthusiasm for serving his country though, as he has since re-enlisted for a third hitch.


Comments For "Nikiski man mends, re-enlists after injury in Iraq":

Hooah SGT Bauer!! I was Bauers PL on his last deployment where we were both wounded by that suicide bomb attack. SGT Bauer was an outstanding NCO and I am proud to have served with him.

Posted by: CPT_Brogan [TypeKey Profile Page] | January 5, 2007 10:47 PM

Post a comment

(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by a site administrator before your comment will appear. We appreciate your patience.)

Advertisements