HOOVER, Ala. — Sergeant Noah Galloway, Birmingham native and recent finalist on the hit ABC show “Dancing with the Stars”, has been named “Citizen of the Year” by the Alabama Broadcasters Association. The ABA will honor him at their annual Citizen of the Year Luncheon on Friday, August 14 in the Hyatt Regency Hotel.
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Sergeant Noah Galloway began his service with the 502nd Infantry of the 101st Airborne Division out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Three months into his second tour in Iraq, he experienced an injury that changed his life forever. Galloway lost his left arm above the elbow and left leg above the knee in an Improvised Explosive Device attack. He was transported to Germany to receive medical treatment, remaining unconscious for five days.
Galloway woke up late on Christmas Eve to learn that he lost two of his limbs and sustained severe injuries to his right leg and his jaw. Galloway was then transferred to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC.
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At the banquet held in his honor, Sergeant Galloway will share his story of how he was able to overcome seemingly insurmountable adversity and become an inspiration for countless across the country.
According to the ABA, the purpose of this award is to honor and pay tribute to a citizen of Alabama for outstanding contributions to the well being, prosperity and progress of the state.
ABA’s Citizen of the Year is “someone who has enhanced and enriched the lives of Alabamians by leadership and unselfish service to his or her community and the state. This leadership can be recognition of outstanding contributions of distinguished and honorable public service.”
Even though the award carries the date of 2015, the ABA states that “it is not primarily devoted to one single achievement in a specific year. It is designed to award continuing service and leadership.”
