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Retired Army Captain Dawn F Halfaker of Ramona, CA never expected to be called a hero. In fact, she used to be uncomfortable with the title. Still, it's something that she's had to get used to because - regardless of how she sees herself - this is the way many others see her.

Halfaker graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY in 2001. Then she went on to join the Army's Military Police Corps where she served a year in Korea and then in the 293D Military Police company at Fort Stewart, GA. She was later deployed with her company, where she was assigned to train the Iraqi police in Ini Baqubah during the transition period after the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime.

In June of 2004, a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) was shot into Halfaker's armored Humvee, piercing through her right side.

"After I was hit I felt like my mind and senses were thrown into a state of chaos and confusion. Then the pain hit and took over my mind and body. I also became very anxious because I felt like I could never catch my breath. It was like I was drowning or something," Halfaker said. Before she initially lost consciousness, she recalls yelling the order to her uninjured driver "get out of the kill zone!"

Although it is expected of every military officer to maintain their leadership skills through stressful circumstances, many people consider her heroic in her ability to give orders while her arm was severely mangled.

Halfaker sustained serious injuries to her right arm and lungs. Military doctors amputated her arm after infection set in. She was then sent to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., where doctors were forced to put her in a drug-induced coma to fight off the swelling in her lungs and infection from her wounds.

After her injury Halfaker lived at the Fisher House, which is near the respected Army hospital Walter Reed in Washington DC. It is where soldiers who are recovering from their wounds get physical therapy on a regular basis. Although her dreams of playing basketball again were crushed, she remained hopeful about her future.

Captain Halfaker had a rewarding experience working with her Physical Therapists. In fact, she describes the physical therapists she worked with at Walter Reed as "extremely organized and dedicated." She also added, "They do not just treat the injury, they treat the person. They succeed at raising the morale of their patients by making the weekly schedule creative, fun, and filled with as much laughter as possible." Though Halfaker's physical therapists helped her learn to cope with the loss of her arm, choosing to use a prosthetic -and finding one that was comfortable, effective, and that looked appropriate- was a challenge for her, just as it is for many other amputees.

"Many people want to see me wearing a prosthetic arm because it makes me look like my wound is healed to a certain point, and it hides my injury," she says. "A prosthetic arm puts others at ease because they think of the patient as being complete, recovered, and functional." Halfaker ultimately chose a passive prosthetic arm that has no function, but it is the most comfortable to wear, and looks like a real hand; in fact, it looks like her real hand, down to the skin tone and the painted-on freckles. "It is the most comfortable and looks the nicest," she says. On how Halfaker actually feels about her body after the injury she said: "I find that I am more focused on what I do have left, and that I am lucky to be alive rather than what I have lost - so I stay upbeat. However, I do get frustrated at times when I come across a physical task I cannot do and sometimes when I look in the mirror and see what I have lost."

During her stay at Fisher House, Halfaker's life was filled with activity. Besides meeting President George W. Bush, Hillary Clinton, Lieutenant General William J. Lennox, Jr. (the superintendent of West Point), Adam Sandler, and rock star Ozzy Osborne, she was up early three days a week for her 2 to 3 mile run each morning, physical therapy, orthopedic consultations, amputee clinics, career counsel meetings, and various other events which changed week to week. In addition to all of this, Halfaker worked two days a week for Congressman Duncan Hunter in Washington D.C., the Armed Forces Services Comity chairman. In her work for Congressman Hunter, she had a variety of responsibilities from sitting in on meetings with key military personnel to talking with the general public about legislative issues. Halfaker has also appeared on numerous television shows, such as: Hardball, CBS and MSNBC evening news, and the Montel Williams show. She even graced the cover of the USA TODAY newspaper.

Halfaker has sacrificed a great deal for her country including her ability to play basketball, a sport which she excelled in and enjoyed. Although she has discovered new sports and activities, nothing will ever fully replace basketball in her life.

Halfaker is currently attending Georgetown University, and she is working for the Defense Advance Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Her main career goal is to be able to impact people's lives in a positive way.

When Halfaker took a moment to reflect on how far she has come since the day of her injury she said, "I loved the life I had before, but it's just different now - not better or worse."

The term "hero" often used by others to describe Halfaker since her return from Iraq is flattering to her even though she does not think of herself as a hero. "I am flattered and honored when people take the time to recognize my service and sacrifice, but I would never call myself a hero, as everyone serving in the military is a hero whether injured or not. I was just doing my job."

Dawn as a cadet.	Dawn in Iraq.
Dawn after the attack.	Dawn in Iraq.