(AJC) — Cpl. Corey Speck spent almost a year in Afghanistan with the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the Georgia Army National Guard. For part of his deployment he served with a 14-man team embedded with the Afghan army in the country’s hottest battle zone. He earned a Bronze Star for valor for saving the life of a Polish soldier during one firefight.
“My first tour was a lot more than I asked for, but I’m glad I went,” Speck said. “It opened my mind to how other people live and changed me for the better.”
Two months after returning home in March, Speck began fighting another battle — one that many Americans know well — the battle to find employment. Before deployment, Speck owned a small household remodeling company.