To further emphasize our Warfighter Focused, Warfighter Led mindset, Ignite will be starting a new series, Warfighter Wednesday. This series will focus on the amazing Igniters who have dedicated their lives to serving the beautiful country we live in (Warfighter Led) as well as the ways in which Ignite has & continues to support the Warfighter (Warfighter Focused).
Starting off our series, is Ignite Chairman & CEO, Clayton Hinchman
Clayton’s story is one that has been told on our platforms many times and is a story that holds a lot of impact, just like all the stories of those who have put their lives on the line to protect our country, our warfighters.
Clayton graduated from United States Military Academy at West Point in 2005 and went on to serve in Iraq in August of 2007 where he would step on a 122-millimeter mortar round connected to a pressure wire IED. This one step resulted in the loss of his right leg & an earlier departure from the military than he had wanted.
Clayton knew that he wanted to be in the fight during Infantry week training during his time at West Point. “When I got back, I called my dad and told him I’m going to be an Airborne Ranger. I want to fight for our country.”
Before his time in the battlefield was cut short, he served as a platoon leader working with Task Force 17, assigned the mission of killing or capturing al-Qaida in Iraq.
“My military career ended sooner than I had hoped, but losing my leg was probably the best thing to ever happen to me in both my professional and personal life. Being the Chairman and CEO of Ignite gives me a purpose that I didn’t know existed in life. The camaraderie I once had in the Army, I now draw every day from the Igniters who stand beside me in our mission.”
Clayton’s story is just the start. As Chairman & CEO, he instilled that mindset that drive us today & while his journey laid the foundation, the incredible warfighters across Ignite continue to build on that legacy every day.