May 24, 2021 : By Jacob Couch - Office of Communications & Public Engagement
Justin Ash, before his accident
Due in part to the encouragement of his fellow students and faculty, recent Liberty University graduate and U.S. Army National Guard service member Justin Ash (’19, ’20) feels blessed to share his inspiring story of comeback after a military accident in 2018 nearly took his life.
“The school’s been there for me,” said Ash, 30. “Overall, I spent two years in the hospital, and I recovered because Liberty was there for me. The professors and the students being there for me was my support group.”
In August 2018, while Ash was serving on his fourth tour of duty in Syria with a group from a special operations joint task force, his U.S. Army vehicle rolled, throwing weaponry loosely throughout the cab. A rifle muzzle cut through the back of Ash’s head and out the left side of his face.
Staff Sgt. Michael Otts returned to Mississippi last week after an 11-month deployment with the U.S. Army National Guard to surprise his son at Lawndale Elementary School in Tupelo, Miss.
Military dad returns to Mississippi, surprises son | The China Post, Taiwan nownews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nownews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
TPF Christine Jeltema, Connecticut State Police and US Army National Guard (Not in this episode )
Renee DiNino, Director of Community Affairs for iHeartMedia Hartford/New Haven
Special Guest:
Wendy Caruso, Director of 2-1-1 s Contact Center Operations
WHAT: We have conversations with a diverse group of people in many fields, organizations, groups about mental health and breaking down the stigma of getting help! Every episode features a new guest and perspective~
This episode of Mental Health Check-In with Marisa, Wendy and Renee covers 2-1-1 s services, how they help the community, and about their Action Line.
Action Line
Corbin Otts, 10, a fourth grader at Lawndale Elementary School, receives a hug from his dad, Michael Otts, a staff sergeant with the U.S Army National Guard, as he is surprised by his return home inside the media center at Lawndale Elementary School on Wednesday afternoon in Tupelo. With Otts is his wife Sarah, an assistant teacher at Parkway Elementary School, son Kolton, 5, a student at ECEC. Otts has been on an 11-month deployment in Kuwait.
Adam Robison | BUY AT PHOTOS.DJOURNAL.COM