William Bradley Vanstory
U.S. Army 2008 – 2015
William Bradley Vanstory was born 3 February 1987 in Memphis, Tenn., and graduated from Covington High School in 2005. As a child, he knew he wanted to be a soldier and practiced almost every day with his G.I. Joe soldiers. He joined the Army infantry in 2008. In September 2009, he attended Army One Station Unit Training (OSUT), a relatively new training concept where soldiers attend Basic Combat Training then continue to Advanced Individual Training with the same group of soldiers and the same Drill Sergeant. This concept not only streamlines the training schedule but also helps produce more camaraderie between soldiers. Upon graduation from OSUT, Will was assigned to the 4thBrigade, 10th Mountain division at Fort Polk, Louisiana.
Further rigorous training awaited Will as his unit prepared for deployment to Afghanistan including training in Dugway, Utah; Camp William; and Fort Polk. In October 2010, he deployed to Regional Command East in Wardak, Afghanistan. His unit went to the notorious Combat Outpost (COP) Tangi, one of the most violent areas in the country. On Dec. 11, while preparing to return to base after a routine foot patrol, Will stepped on a remotely detonated improvised explosive device (IED), was propelled backwards almost 15 feet, and was knocked unconscious. He awoke strapped to a litter as various fire teams, along with the support of the South Africans, rushed him to an aid station. He sustained numerous lacerations; but more concerning, he couldn’t feel the right side of his body. He recalls looking down the litter and wondering how he still had his arms and legs. Three weeks later, after recovering from a severe concussion and traumatic brain injury, he was well enough to return to the front. According to the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team that inspected the blast site, the IED had been buried so deep that most of the shrapnel shattered into the ground beneath his feet. He was hit by the force of the blast and the shockwave but thankfully not the shrapnel.
His recovery heralded a new assignment – joining the 2-4th Infantry Sniper section as part of a three-man sniper team assigned overwatch for his old platoon. In April 2011, his unit closed COP Tangi and was sent to the no less dangerous Chak Valley with orders to take the city in the heart of the valley. While traveling in a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle (MRAP), his MRAP struck an IED. He sustained another concussion and lacerations to his knees, causing him to be sidelined for another two weeks. In October 2011, 4th Brigade, 10th Mountain Division ended their Afghanistan deployment and returned to Louisiana.
A new duty station awaited him in Fort Hood, Texas, where he was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 3rd Calvary Regiment (CR), also known as the “Brave Rifles.” Known for moving troops via the tracked Bradley Fighting Vehicles, they were now assigned the eight-wheeled Stryker interim armored vehicle to use to move infantry and support personnel. After graduation from Air Assault School and Sling Load Inspector School Fort Hood, he completed the Army’s Basic Leader course. He was selected for early promotion prior to deployment to Egypt in support of the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO). The MFO provided oversight of the Israel and Egypt peace treaty. While in Egypt, he trained a five-soldier team to compete against eleven other teams in the prestigious international Force Skills competition. His team proudly earned first place for the first time in over eight years. After deployment, doctors discovered that numerous lower vertebrae were still cracked, and his shoulder was still torn from the IEDs in Afghanistan. He was medically discharged in December 2015.
He, his wife, Whitney, and his daughter, Hadley, moved back to Tennessee to be closer to family. He found a job at William’s Equipment & Supply to support his growing family. He and Whitney welcomed their second daughter Charlotte in 2018.
SSG Vanstory’s awards include two Purple Hearts, Army Commendation medal, four Army Achievement Medals, two Good Conduct Medals, Afghanistan Campaign Medal w/two Campaign stars, Global War on Terrorism Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon Army Service Ribbon, two Overseas Service Ribbons, Multi-National Force and Observers Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, Air Assault Badge, and Expert Marksman Badge w/rifle ribbon.