Colonel Gregory D. Gadson
US Army, Retired

Gregory D. Gadson was born 19 February,1966, in Oklahoma City, OK. He received his commission in the Field Artillery from the United States Military Academy in 1989 where he excelled as a linebacker for 4 years and was a Cadet Regimental Executive Officer. Following Airborne School and the FA Officer Basic Course, he was assigned to the 5th BN, 18th FA at Ft. Sill, and served as a firing battery FDO then as a Platoon Leader when the battalion deployed to Desert Shield/Desert Storm, and subsequently served as the Battalion FDO. After completing the FA Officer Advanced Course he was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division where he served in multiple company grade positions to include command of a firing battery and command of the Division Headquarters Company and earned a master parachutist badge. Gadson served in Human Resources Command in Arlington, VA as a personnel distribution officer prior to attending Command and General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth. Following CGSC, he served in multiple assignments in Hawaii including: Special Assistant to the CG, USARPAC; Chief of Division Operations for the 25th ID; FA Battalion Operations Officer; DIVARTY Operations Officer; and DIVARTY XO. During his time with the 25th ID he deployed to Bosnia and also to Afghanistan. Selected for battalion command, he stood up a new FA battalion from scratch assigned to the 1st ID at Ft. Riley, and then deployed with it as a fully combat ready battalion to Iraq. While in Iraq, he was severely wounded in an  I.E.D. attack, which cost him the loss of both legs above the knee and a severely injured arm. After extensive surgeries, Gadson remained on active duty and served as the first director of the U.S. Army Wounded Warrior Program. He then became the Commander, U.S. Army Garrison at Ft. Belvoir, VA and made history as the first time a double amputee took the reins of command of a major Army installation. Gadson retired from the Army in 2014 and he immediately immersed himself into a very active civilian life inspiring literally thousands of people. He travels extensively as a motivational speaker to countless military and civilian organizations, including collegiate and professional sports organizations, and with people from all walks of life. He is a tireless volunteer raising money for veterans and several other charitable causes whether hand pedaling a bicycle in a 100 mile race, promoting fitness programs for the disabled or participating in snow skiing races for the disabled. He is a successful actor starring in the movie “Battleship” as well as 10 episodes of the TV series “The Inspectors”. He is an entrepreneur and the Managing Partner of Patriot Strategies, LLC, providing jobs to veterans across the country in various fields, including cyber operations. He has won multiple awards including, but not limited to, The Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame; Viscardi Achievement Award for the world’s leading advocates with disabilities; Reader’s Digest, Hero of the Year; NCAA Inspirational Award; The American Legion, Patriot Award; the Georgetown University 1820 Award for outstanding leadership and service by graduate alumni.