Army Vet, Hockey Player Puts Iraq War Injuries ‘On Ice’ By Gerry J. Gilmore American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, April 16, 2008 – Retired Army reservist Joseph L. Bowser was 9 years old when he first experienced the thrill of skating and using his hockey stick to whack a rubber puck across the ice on a frozen pond in his birthplace of Toledo, Ohio. Retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Joseph L. Bowser plays competitive ice hockey despite the loss of his lower right leg due to an injury suffered from an exploding enemy rocket April 12, 2004, in Balad, Iraq. Courtesy photo   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Today, the 48-year-old Iraq veteran still plays ice hockey, despite the loss of the lower portion of his right leg four years ago during a rocket attack on Camp Anaconda, in Balad, Iraq. Bowser, then a truck driver with 283rd Transportation Company based in Fairfield, Conn., recalled that the enemy attack occurred on April 12, 2004, soon after he returned to Camp Anaconda after delivering a 5,000-gallon load of jet fuel. Bowser credits Connecticut Army National Guard Maj. Michael McMahon, a physician assistant, for saving his life. McMahon, he said, used his fingers to slow the bleeding from a gashed artery on Bowser’s injured right leg. “He reached up on my leg to clamp off my artery so I wouldn’t ‘bleed out,’” Bowser recalled. McMahon, now 45, recalled during a recent phone interview from his home in Hamden, Conn., that his military training kicked in when he saw the stricken Bowser bleeding profusely. “You just react,” McMahon said. “We took care of him and got him stabilized. There was a combat surgical hospital in Balad. “Once we got the bleeding controlled, … I thought he was going to make it,” McMahon recalled. Bowser and McMahon keep in touch; they met up in February when Bowser was in Connecticut to play a hockey game. Wearing body armor probably also saved his life, Bowser said, noting his armored vest was riddled with shrapnel damage. The then-staff sergeant also suffered shrapnel injuries to his left hand. Bowser said he arrived at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here about a week after being wounded. The doctors thought he would have more mobility with a prosthetic leg, he recalled, rather than by keeping his mangled limb. “The first thing that I thought of was that I wanted to play hockey again,” Bowser said. “So, I said I wanted to have it amputated.” Bowser spent more than two years of inpatient and outpatient recovery at Walter Reed, and he was medically retired from the Army as a sergeant first class in July 2006. He rates the medical care he received at Walter Reed as “awesome.” “You couldn’t ask for a better place,” Bowser said of Walter Reed. Bowser now works at the Pentagon as an administrator for Army Secretary Pete Geren. In his spare time he plays pickup hockey games at Maryland rinks near his present-day home near Baltimore. He also occasionally travels to play in hockey tournaments. Bowser plays right wing, one of the three forwards on an ice hockey team. The center and left winger make up the other two-thirds of the forward line, and their job is to harass the opposing team and score goals. Two defensive players are positioned rearward to protect the goalie. Bowser said his artificial leg can be adjusted to accommodate his skating style, and that having a prosthetic limb actually has its advantages during a rough-and-tumble game of hockey. “You don’t have to worry about getting a puck slapped on your foot,” Bowser said, noting he enjoys ice hockey’s speed of play and physical aspects. Bowser completed as a member of the U.S. National Amputee Hockey Team during the 2008 Standing Amputee Hockey World Championships that were held April 2-6 in Marlborough, Mass. Team USA won the silver medal at that four-team tournament, beating out teams from Latvia and Finland. Canada won the gold medal, and Finland took the bronze. Before he got his job in the secretary of the Army’s office, Bowser had volunteered to work with injured military veterans as part of an initiative administered through Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon R. England’s office. Bowser met with a number of Washington Capitals professional ice hockey team players and coaches when they paid an April 6 visit to the Pentagon last year. Later, he got to skate with some Capitals players during a team practice. The Capitals hockey club has sponsored several Military Appreciation Nights at the Verizon Center here for servicemembers and their families, Bowser noted. “I’ve gone there several times with wounded warrior guys from Walter Reed,” Bowser said. “They’ve just opened their doors to us. They totally support us.” Bowser, who got married April 12, said God gave him a second chance at life after being severely wounded in Iraq. Grateful for each day of existence, he strives to help his fellow wounded warriors. “I treat each day like my last … (while) helping my fellow soldiers,” Bowser said.

Injured Army veteran Joseph L. Bowser, left, and physician assistant Michael McMahon meet up at an ice hockey tournament in Connecticut in February. McMahon was the military medical person who first treated Bowser after he was wounded by an exploding enemy rocket in Balad, Iraq, on April 12, 2004. Courtesy photo   Download screen-resolution    Download high-resolution

METAMETA

2008 ISIHF SCHEDULE/ RESULTS

The 2008 World Amputee Hockey Championships schedule has been released!  Do not miss your chance to see all the action as teams from USA, Canada, Finland, and Latvia converge in Marlborough, Massachusetts for the World Amputee Hockey Championships April 2nd-6th!

Local news footage (WBZ) on the 2008 US National Amputee Hockey Team

http://wbztv.com/sports/2008.World.Amputee.2.690805.html

     WEDNESDAY APRIL 2^nd, 2008

Marlborough, Ma., April 2, 2008 -  Team USA played its home opener this afternoon kicking off the US Disabled Festival and the 2008 International Standing Ice Hockey Federation beating Latvia 10-3.  Brad Wells from St. Paul Park, Minnesota lead Team USA in scoring with 3 goals and 3 assists!  Dave Levesque (NH) had 2 goals and 2 assists.  Team USA had single goals from David Goodwin (NH), Lucas Gage (ND),  Joshua Poburski (MI), Mike Logan (Ma), Brian Hughes also of Massachusetts.  Eric Ignatowski (NY) turned away 15 shots.

Next up for Team USA is Finland Thursday evening @ 6:50pm!

   Thursday April 3^rd, 2008

TEAM USA secures a position in the gold medal game!  The US National Amputee Hockey Team beat Finland last night with a 5-1 victory!

Marlborough, Ma., April 3, 2008 -  Team USA played its second game last night beating team Finland 5-1.  Lucas Gage (ND) lead the team last night with 3 goals!  Team Finland played the US hard for two periods, when Joshua Poburski (MI) scored in the first period making it 1-0.  Team Finland scored a power play goal midway through the second period before Lucas Gage (ND) scored his first of three making the score 2-1.  Both countries had to adjust their line up in the second periods as both teams played a more physical game which lead to several power play and penalty kill opportunities.  Team USA came out of the 2^nd intermission on a mission!  USA scored 3 goals in less than two minutes.  Brad Wells from (MN) rocketed a slap shot past the Finland goalie which started the third period fury.  Lucas Gage finished his hatrick early on in the third period getting assists from Shane Warren (NH) on both goals.  Brad Rutzel (MI) played an outstanding game in net for USA turning away several goal scoring opportunities.

Team USA closes the preliminary round with CANADA this evening @ 8:10pm!

 Friday APRIL 4^th, 2008

Click on the following link for pictures of the recent game

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mmjsmith/sets/72157604398980670/

 US National Amputee Hockey Team Falls to Canada 4-1.

Marlborough, Ma., April 4, 2008 -  Team USA played a very physical game last night before a packed house at the New England Sports Center against Team Canada.  Hockey fans from all over were treated to great game of hockey.  Team Canada opened the scoring in the first period on a power play goal.  Joshua Porburski of Michigan evened the score late in the second period giving TEAM USA a much needed lift.  Both teams finished the second period after having to deal with several minutes in penalties.  Team USA started the third period flat and were never able to get it going.  Canada score three third period goals!  Team USA goalie Brad Rutzel (MI) played outstanding.  Brads performance in goal kept team US in the game through two periods.

TEAM USA going for GOLD on SUNDAY against rival Team Canada!  Game time is 1:40pm.  This is a game not to miss!!

    Sunday April 6th, 2008

 US National Amputee Hockey Team Falls to Canada 6 - 2.

Marlborough, Ma., April 6, 2008 -  Once again team USA and Team Canada played a very physical game today before a packed house at the New England Sports Center against Team Canada.  Team Canada opened the scoring in the first period on a power play goal.  Rick Kamenski of (NY) tied the game at one all on a slap shot from the blue line in the second period. Captain Dave Levesque scored Team USA's second goal giving the team a much needed lift and brought the team within one goal at the end of the second period.  Both teams once again had to deal with several minutes in penalties.  Team Canada scored 2 shorthanded goals and an open net goal securing the win!

UP NEXT FOR TEAM USA------> OPEN SELECTION CAMP (FALL OF 2008)

2010 ISIHF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS -----> CANADA!

2008 US National Amputee Hockey Team

BK= Below Knee

B/L BK= Bi-lateral Below the knee (both legs)

AE= Above the Elbow

BE= Below the Elbow

(*) Rookie

Coaching Staff

Team Staff