Our Heroes

● Petty Officer Third Class Kevin Ivory

Petty Officer Third Class Kevin Ivory joined the navy as a hospital corpsman during Operation Iraqi Freedom and was looking forward to serving on a ship during the war. Instead, he was assigned as a combat medic to a squad of Marines deployed to Iraq. Kevin served two tours in Iraq. During his second tour, Ivory encountered three separate Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attacks. The third attack occurred when Kevin drove down an embankment and unknowingly ran right over three IED’s. which launched the vehicle into the air ten feet. He and a Marine were sprayed with shrapnel, causing the Marine in the passenger seat to lose his arm. Kevin, wounded himself, started placing a tourniquet on the injured Marine but lost consciousness. He regained consciousness and continued medical treatment until passing out a second time. By the time the Medivac unit arrived, they determined that Kevin’s actions saved the life of the Marine. As a result of the attack, Kevin suffered mild Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). After extensive therapy at the local Phoenix VA Hospital, he has recovered his cognitive and retention abilities. However, he was diagnosed in 2006 to have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) caused by the multiple IED attacks. Frequent nightmares, flashbacks and constant anxiety are his major symptoms.

For Kevin’s service in Iraq, the Navy awarded him a Purple Heart, 3 Navy/Marine Corps Achievement medals (one with valor), 2 Service and Expeditionary GWOT medals and 1 Iraq Campaign medal. Today, Kevin is a valued employee of The University of Phoenix, one of the largest veteran employers.

● TSgt. Christopher "Matt" Slaydon

TSgt. Christopher "Matt" Slaydon is a retired Air Force Active Duty Explosive Ordinance Disposal Operator. He volunteered for each of his three deployments into Iraq. During those three deployments, TSgt. Slaydon was credited with four enemy kills, and 200 plus combat missions, wherein he disarmed over 100 IEDs and destroyed over 150,000 pounds of captured enemy ordnance. On October 24, 2007, an IED TSgt, Slaydon was investigating outside Kirkuk, Iraq detonated. As a result of the blast, he suffered traumatic amputation of his dominant left arm above the elbow, his left eye was severely damaged and removed, and his right eye was also severely damaged. He is now totally blind without light perception. Additionally, TSgt. Slaydon suffered multiple facial fractures including shattered orbits, fractured sinuses, two jaw fractures, and tooth loss. He also suffered multiple facial lacerations, peppering injuries to the face and a collapsed lung. TSgt. Slaydon spent 15 months recovering from his injuries at Brooke Army Medical Center and The Center for the Intrepid in San Antonio, Texas. TSgt. Slaydon was medically retired from the United States Air Force on August 27, 2009. He has now dedicated himself to earning a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and wishes to work with active duty service members and/or veterans who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. TSgt. Slaydon also wishes to continue to share his story with others as a motivational speaker.

● Donovan Spieth

Staff Sergeant Donovan Spieth was with the 10^th Special Forces group, 1^st Battalion, Charlie Company. After spending one tour in Iraq, Donovan was in Germany, and headed back to the States for advanced training, when he was badly injured in an accident. Donovan is now paralyzed, and in a wheelchair. He wants to finish his education, and is looking forward to living in the Phoenix area and a new career. He loves to ride his hand cycle, and can be seen on the trails around his apartment. He says he expects his new life to be a challenge, but “the sky’s the limit.”

Watch Video of Donovan & Ryan

The Sentinels Need Your Help

It can cost up to $25,000 a year for four years, per life scholarship recipient to help these young warriors get the jump-start back into civilian life that they need. Although we have corporate support from huge companies like AT&T, Chevron and American Express, we still fall short of having the necessary funds to help the estimated 3,500 soldiers who are how rehabilitating in military hospitals across the United States with injuries such as amputations, blindness, deafness, paraplegia, and severe burns.

Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to the Sentinels of Freedom, Scottsdale or contact us at 480-346-5372 to learn how you can help. Whatever your beliefs regarding our military presence in the Middle East, supporting our troops is a cause that can unify us. We are not a politically motivated organization, instead we are a helping-hands group with a deep appreciation for the sacrifices our men and women in the military make, and a profound respect for their drive to rehabilitate after severe injury and make a place for themselves and their families in a civilian world.

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More Videos:

Streaming Video

Meet Donovan and Ryan Job.

Sentinel Ian Newland and his family tour his new home for the first time Sept. 24. View news coverage:
    KUSA, 9 News
    KDVR, Fox 31
    KMGH, 7 News
    CW 2 Colorado

Meet Chase Gean, a new Sentinel who moved into his new home in time for Thanksgiving.

More Video and News from our National website

The Sentinels of Freedom Scholarship Foundation^sm is an IRS Approved 501C3 Non Profit Foundation (documentation available upon request). Our mission is to provide life-changing opportunities for men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces who have recently suffered severe injuries and now need the support of grateful communities to realize their dreams.

(480) 346-5372