Mike Koldys

I was born on May 2, 1986, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

My family is relatively small. I have three younger brothers. Military service runs in my family and includes my great-grandfather, who served in the Army Air Corps, my oldest brother, who served in both the Marine Corps and later the Army, and myself, having served in the United States Marine Corps.

I deployed to Iraq from February through September 2007. On June 25, 2007, while on a mounted patrol, the vehicle I was driving was struck by an improvised explosive device (IED). I later learned the explosion was equivalent to approximately 35 pounds of TNT. As a result of the blast, I suffered a traumatic brain injury and cuts to my hands and was awarded the Purple Heart.

After returning from deployment, I completed my enlistment and was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps in September 2010.

I attended Kempsville High School for most of my high school years but ultimately graduated from night school in January 2006. I did not attend college, but I completed training at Universal Technical Institute.

While attending trade school, I was involved in a serious car accident that left me with nearly 20 broken bones, including nine vertebrae in my neck and back.

Becoming a Marine was a dream I had from a young age. After the events of September 11, 2001, I knew without question that it was the path I wanted to follow. I joined the Delayed Entry Program and left for Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in February 2006.

The years I spent in the Marine Corps were some of the best of my life. They challenged me, shaped my character, and helped mold me into the man I am today.

I am currently in my second marriage and am married to my best friend, Jessica. I am also the proud stepfather to two children. During my first marriage, my ex-wife gave birth to twins, Abigail and Haydn. Due to severe complications, they were born extremely premature, and tragically, neither survived.

I am medically retired. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my wife and family, going to the gym, gaming, and hunting whenever the seasons are open.