Martinez enlisted in the United States Army in September 2002 and underwent Basic and Advanced Training at Fort Benning, Georgia where he gained skills as an 11-B Infantryman. He was deployed to Iraq in March of that same year and less than a month later, on April 5, 2003, Martinez was driving a Humvee when his left front tire hit a land-mine.
He suffered severe burns to more than 40 percent of his body as well as smoke inhalation. Eventually Martinez arrived at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) in San Antonio, TX to begin his road to recovery.
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