that tour ,” said Greene . “ Our medic got shot . One of my soldiers lost his legs . Going back there after what happened before seems reckless right now , but that was before I had kids . And it was also how I met my husband .”
Green on Blue was prevalent at the time , and would result in several traumatic incidents within their company . These incidents involved Taliban infiltration of the Afghan forces that NATO coalition soldiers were there to support . Inside attacks on U . S . troops became common .
In February of 2012 , Erica ’ s patrol leader James Greene lost two close friends and fellow soldiers in a Green on Blue attack : T . J . Conrad and Jason Born . Erica was selected to fill one of their positions . In the midst of grief and loss , James and Erica found solace in each other . Erica was promoted to sergeant and sent to a different unit . Once they went public about their relationship , they realized it was more than just a wartime romance . They had an understanding that they were meant to be together .
“ I knew he was the one , so I started planning an intimate wedding . There was no formal proposal . I just told him we were getting married and he agreed . James
called my parents to ask permission , and that was it . My only stipulation was that my dog had to be there ,” said Erica .
Erica and James returned to Ft . Stewart on Jan . 2 , 2013 . They were married on Jan . 26 in Savannah , Georgia . Her parents brought Shady May . The ceremony was held at Greene Square , which is named after Revolutionary War Hero Nathanael Greene , who was an aide to George Washington .
Their marriage was a bright spot , but Erica was still struggling with her mental health . Her fellow squad members were also having a hard time . Her anxiety got so bad that she couldn ’ t leave the house .
“ I wanted to die . I felt like a prisoner in my own mind . I was not in control and it was the worst feeling ever . James loved me through those times and helped pull me out of it . I thank God every day for him and my family ,” said Greene . In 2014 , just before their one year wedding anniversary , Greene entered Laurel Ridge , a residential treatment facility in San Antonio . She returned to Ft . Stewart after a month and continued to work toward healing .
“ We ’ d both intended to be in for life when we started ,” said Greene . “ But after the trauma of the last deployment , and the way we were being treated on a daily basis out in
the world , we decided it was time to be done .”
Erica was medically retired in August 2014 . She was 26 years old . James Enlistment contract was up in November 2014 . They bought an RV and took a seven month road trip , slowly making their way back to Texas to be near Erica ’ s family . The Greenes moved to Madisonville in 2017 . James earned his Master ’ s in Public Administration at Sam Houston State and is now the City Secretary for the City of Madisonville .
The Greenes have four kids . Ashton , Layla , Emily Jean , and Ruby Ann . Healing is still an ongoing process for both of them . Erica believes that she and James saved each other ’ s lives .
“ I don ’ t know if we would have made it this far without each other ,” said Erica . She said she had this epiphany a few years ago after she had some time to gain perspective :
“ I never really celebrated my alive day as it was a memory I would rather not have . But this time on the anniversary of my event , I had a whole new appreciation for my experience . I had these two beautiful babies at that time . That changed my whole outlook on why I survived . Why God spared me . It made me look at that event in a completely different way , I was spared to bring these beautiful babies into this world , to make a difference and it truly made me appreciate my life . I had never before looked at it as a blessing that I was injured ,
HUNTSVILLE LIVING | NOVEMBER 2022 | 13