Sgt. Roberts is a true inspiration and a real American Hero. Growing up poor in northeastern Ohio, he was being influenced by the wrong crowd. In his mid teenage years, he realized this was not the path he wanted and set out to change the direction of his life. He was only the second in his family to attend college. While there, he met a Marine Corps recruiter and was immediately enthralled with the idea of a military life. A few months later he was in boot camp on Parris Island.
During his first Iraqi tour in 2003, his unit was defined as the “tip of the spear”, leading the initial push into Iraq. His second tour in Iraq followed just nine short months after returning home from his first deployment. In April, 2007 Sgt. Roberts returned for his third and final tour in Iraq. On June 6, while performing a routine reconnaissance patrol, his unit drove under a bridge and struck an IED. Having been involved in explosions in the past, Sgt. Roberts immediately began checking on the rest of the crew. It was only when he kept falling over to the right that he realized his right leg was gone. With the aid of his Corporal and other comrades, they were able to control the hemorrhaging and Stg. Roberts was transported to a nearby medical facility. In addition to losing his leg, Sgt. Roberts sustained damage to his right arm and experienced traumatic brain injury. After years of physical therapy and numerous surgeries, Stg. Roberts is currently well on the way to recovery.
Married to wife Crissy, Sgt. Roberts has four children. Both Sgt. Roberts and Crissy are in school completing their degrees. Sgt. Roberts is pursuing an IT degree and his wife, Crissy is studying for an education degree.