CTI2 Casey Tibbs

Casey Tibbs could have given up on a Navy career when he lost a foot in a motorcycle accident in 2001. But he successfully petitioned to stay in the Navy and "just made myself go back to being a regular sailor," he said.

An athlete since high school, Tibbs trained six days a week to qualify for the 2004 Paralympics in Athens, Greece, where he won a gold medal in the 4x100 meter relay and a silver medal in the P44 pentathlon.

When he returned from Athens in November, Tibbs looked for a new challenge - so he applied for an analyst billet in Afghanistan. He deployed in March. Although he brought an extra prosthetic leg, he said he's treated just like everyone else.

"I don't walk with a limp. I can run, and no one gave me any fuss," he said.