Combat photographer to compete in Warrior Games

by Maj. Belinda Petersen
Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs

Not once, but twice. Twice, in 2004 and 2007, a combat photographer who was assigned to the 1st Combat Camera Squadron, Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., was wounded in Iraq.

It was her combat wounds in 2007 that caused retired Staff Sgt. Stacy Pearsall to give up her dream as a combat photographer to portray the extraordinary lives of Airmen.

Sergeant Pearsall suffered from partial hearing loss and neurological problems that triggers severe arm and neck pain, and numbness across the upper right side of her body.

Since her injury in 2007, Sergeant Pearsall has been to more than 150 physical therapy appointments, 30 Prolotherapy procedures, six vertigo treatments, five right-ear evaluations, four cat scans, two MRI’s and countless other medical appointments.

Even though she still suffers from pain, her doctors recently cleared her to participate in the Warrior Games scheduled May 10 to 14 in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Wounded, ill and injured active duty, Guard and Reserve members, as well as retired personnel and veterans, from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard will compete in Warrior Games hosted by the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Paralympic Military Program at the Olympic Training Center.

As a combat photographer, Sergeant Pearsall did three tours in Iraq. Not once, but twice, Sergeant Pearsall was recognized for her heroic actions under fire. She earned the Bronze Star Medal and Commendation with Valor.

Sergeant Pearsall recalls the night of her last injury. Her convoy was traveling when the vehicle in front of her exploded due to an improvised explosive device.

While Sergeant Pearsall manned the 2.40 machine gun at the Stryker, members in her vehicle ran out to recover the wounded and dead when they were ambushed and struck by a rocket propelled grenade.

Instinctively, Sergeant Pearsall ran out to retrieve the wounded when all of a sudden she was knocked off her feet.

The Stryker helmet she was wearing to communicate with the rest of the convoy had a communications cord attached to the vehicle. When she ran towards the wounded, the cord tightened and she fell back on her head and neck.

“That is when I tore all of the muscles and tendons in my neck,” said Sergeant Pearsall. “My neck was already messed up because of previous IED explosions.”

“Thank God for adrenaline. I only felt a burning sensation, so I ripped off the helmet and carried the guy back to my vehicle,” she said.

While Sergeant Pearsall is no longer a combat photographer, she is still using her talents to raise awareness for disabled Airmen’s and veterans’ issues.

After spending a tremendous amount of time at the VA hospital, retirement home, and homeless shelter in her home of Charleston, she started bringing along her camera and creating portraits of veterans she met.

She has amassed a collection of 350 portraits, which will go on display next month at the Charleston Veterans Administration as part of a fundraiser.

She has also gotten involved with veterans’ advocacy efforts including the Wounded Warrior Project.

Her work with disabled veterans will no doubt be top notch as Sergeant Pearsall has not once, but twice won Military Photographer of the Year. She is one of only two women to have won this DOD-wide competition and the only woman to have earned it twice.

At Warrior Games, Sergeant Pearsall will participate in the shooting and track events.

Even though running is physically painful for Sergeant Pearsall, she is inspired to run for those who died or were wounded and can no longer run themselves.

“I run for Specialist Trussel, Corporal Nguyen, Specialist Russell, Specialist Camacho, Sergeant Ross, Sergeant Shaw, Captain Belser, and Sergeant Robinson,” she said.

For information on the Air Force Wounded Warrior program, go to http://www.woundedwarrior.af.mil. For information on Warrior Games, go to http://usparalympics.org/pages/8330.