Since suffering a near fatal bomb blast in 2003 in Iraq, 1st Sgt. Dean Lockhart has proven many doctors wrong during his long recovery process.

They told him he wouldn't live. He did.

They told him he wouldn't run. He did.

They told him and his wife they wouldn't be able to conceive a second child. He did that, too.

"I surprised a lot of people," the 39-year-old Tewksbury, Mass., native said.

After the explosion left Lockhart with a shattered pelvis, broken femur in two places, a severed rectum and a ton of nerve damage, doctors told him they didn't expect him to live and to make sure his wife got to his side in 72 hours to witness his final moments.

But Lockhart pulled through. He was then transferred from Germany to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., where he spent the next three months rehabbing from his injuries, which included a visit from then President George W. Bush, who presented Lockhart with a Purple Heart.

"I set little goals of stuff to do," he said. "It just helps me stay positive."

Fast-forward to today and Lockhart is using his recovery process and experiences to help 5th Brigade soldiers and their families as a rear detachment brigade sergeant major.

While Lockhart's injuries prevented him from recently deploying with his unit ("It bothers me to not be able to go with guys I trained ... it's like being benched," he said), he is focusing his skills on making sure soldiers who've suffered an injury are taken care of.

"I have an advantage over others that haven't been wounded," Lockhart said. "I want to make sure those families are taken care of."

He makes sure families know they don't have to go through anything alone.

"I try to be there for support," Lockhart said.

Lockhart's experiences and resiliency strike a chord with other soldiers, said Lisa Palmer, a former nurse case manager at Madigan Army Medical Center who handled Lockhart's case.

"With all the things that happened to him, it's a miracle he survived what he did," Palmer said. "He's a symbol of perseverance, and how the human spirit can get through a lot. He knew he had more to offer."

And the 20-year Army veteran continues to prepare soldiers for battle, right up until he will depart Joint Base Lewis-McChord for nine months to attend the sergeant major academy at Fort Bliss, Texas.

"(Soldiers) love him," Palmer said. "He's hard on them but he's preparing them for combat. They learned more from him more than anyone else."

While he can't deploy with his troops, Lockhart knows he's lucky to still be able to play a key role in supporting the mission.

"There are a lot more people that are worse off than me," he said. "I've adapted (to the injuries). I try to not let it interfere with my job."