Retired Army Sergeant First Class Dana Bowman related his story of loss and recovery at the Buckley Leadership Development Center Oct. 16.
Sergeant Bowman began his Army career as an engineer, quickly moving on to a special forces unit. He later joined the Army’s elite parachute demonstration team, the Golden Knights. During annual training for the Golden Knights in February 1994, Sergeant Bowman’s life changed in an flash.
During a maneuver called the Diamond Track, where two parachutists move away from each other for about a mile then fly back towards each other, crossing in the sky, Sergeant Bowman and his teammate Sgt. Jose Aguillon collided at a combined speed of 300 mph. Sergeant Bowman’s legs were severed; his teammate died instantly.
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