Today, WWIA Founder and CEO, John McDaniel, welcomes an outstanding Purple Heart Hero, WWIA Guide, and longstanding friend of the Foundation to the podcast, as Mr. Derek Duplisea joins us. Derek is originally from Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada but was born in the USA.

Derek served a total of 5 years with the 1st Battalion, Royal New Brunswick Regiment (Carleton & York) as an infantryman, leaving the Canadian Armed Forces as a master corporal before enlisting in the U.S. Army.

During his second tour in Iraq, Derek was leading a patrol with 2nd platoon, Able Troop, 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, when his unit was hit by a female suicide bomber and heavy small arms fire. The blast detonated within feet of the dismounted members of the platoon, severely wounding Derek and three of his Soldiers. He spent two years recovering from his wounds before medically retiring from the Army.

Derek has been a WWIA Associate since 2010 and leads events all over the USA and Canada and graduated from the Inaugural WWIA Guide School in 2016. He is married to his Canadian sweetheart Andrea and has four wonderful children.

He loves to spend his free time traveling, hiking, camping, hunting & fishing with friends and family.

Derek holds a BS in Criminal Justice from Troy University and an MBA from University of Phoenix. He has worked in the mental health profession for several years and is a manager at Aroostook Mental Health Center on their adult crisis stabilization unit in Callus, Maine.

Takeaways:

• The WWIA Podcast aims to honor and support America's combat wounded Purple Heart heroes, fostering healing and connection through shared experiences.
• Derek Duplisea, a Purple Heart recipient, shares his harrowing story of surviving a suicide bombing during his military service in Iraq, highlighting the chaos and violence of war.
• The conversation emphasizes the importance of leadership and contingency planning, detailing how Derek's military training prepared him and his team to effectively respond to crises in combat situations.
• Derek's transition from military service to working in mental health illustrates his commitment to helping others, demonstrating resilience in the face of personal trauma and adversity.

Companies mentioned in this episode:

• WWIA
• Troy University
• University of Phoenix
• Raytheon
• Aroostook Mental Health Center
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service