Welcome to a new season of Military Makeover! We’re in Cape Coral, Florida, renovating the home of Army Staff Sergeant Daniel Burgess and his family.
First, learn about Sgt. Burgess’ harrowing story: When deployed to Afghanistan as a member of the PSYOP team, his job was to help the local population identify, avoid, and remove explosive traps left by the Taliban. As Daniel was working with Marines in Helmand Province to clear a village of 42 improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), tragedy struck as a terrible explosion ripped through the Afghan desert. Daniel had stepped on a hidden IED. He lost his right leg, sustained severe damage to his left leg, and suffered a traumatic brain injury, burns, fractures, and a multitude of other injuries. The arduous recovery process from his catastrophic injuries is still ongoing.
Daniel’s wife Genette and his daughters Gracie and Kaylee, who were nine and eight at the time, moved to Texas to be closer and support him. During this period, Genette and the girls lived for ten months in one of the nearby homes supported by the Fisher House Foundation. After spending 11 years in the Army between active duty and the Reserves, Daniel was medically retired in 2014. His Army career had started with a four-year enlistment in 1996, and then after being away from the Army for seven years, he reenlisted in the Army Reserves.
Daniel wanted to rekindle the camaraderie and sense of purpose he found in the Army. Coming from a military family, he was also motivated in part by the events of 9/11. In fact, Daniel married Genette on Sept. 15, 2001, just four days after the infamous attacks on America. Ten years later, the Burgess family’s world would be forever changed by the explosion half a world away. Daniel wants everybody to know that he views his family as the true heroes. Selflessly, Daniel wants his family to benefit most from the renovations carried out by the makeover team. His family’s desire is to make their Cape Coral, Florida home safer and more accommodating for him. At Military Makeover, we feel fortunate to work with our partners to help out a heroic family like the Burgesses.
Now, let’s kick off the makeover! Our partners at Junk King — eco-friendly junk removal experts — are ensuring our dumpsters filled with waste and trash are taken away and sorted — and recycled and donated as much as possible.
We needed a place for the Burgess family to stay as we work on renovating their home — and Extended Stay America was delighted to host our veteran hero and his family, offering the perfect home-away-from-home with a fully equipped kitchen and spacious suite.
Plus, with military-inspired designs promoting pride in self, in the military, and our country, Grunt Style’s vision aligns perfectly with Military Makeover — and we are proud to have them as our official apparel partner!
