US Marine Staff Sergeant Eric Alva’s unit was among the first to cross the border into Iraq for the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Three hours into the ground war, near Basra, while stepping out of his vehicle, Alva triggered a landmine, throwing him 15 feet that left him with a broken left leg, severely nerve-damaged broken right arm and a badly injured right leg that was later amputated. He was the first American wounded in the war, and the war’s first Purple Heart recipient.

Alva was also among the first warfighters Move United served from Operation Iraq Freedom, learning how to ski and scuba dive . As a member of Move United’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leadership Committee and in his work around the country, Eric has been an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community .