Howard joined the Army in 2002. He achieved the rank of Captain and most of his service was in the 82nd Airborne Division and training for Special Forces. Howard was on foot patrol with one of his team leaders when four IEDs exploded about ten feet from them. The blast threw him and he suffered another concussion, broke his collarbone, damaged his c-level vertebrae and also caught some shrapnel. In February of 2008 Howard was conducting a long distance endurance swim for exercise when he injured his neck further in a diving accident. As a result, Howard is now a C5 quadriplegic with no hand function, no leg function, and paralyzed from the chest down.
Howard currently lives in Richmond, Virginia with his wife Amanda and their son Luke. He had the privilege to participate in the 2018 Warrior Games with Team SOCOM and even made an appearance on ESPN during his swimming event.
