Blake Hall
You might’ve heard of this thing on people’s phones these days. It’s an app that used to look like an old timey brown camera but recently upgraded to a Deadhead-ish psychedelic cupcake gradient square. It displays pictures and videos in ironic fake-dated fashion, is owned by Facebook and has more than 300 million monthly users.
Instagram!
As with any of the other popular social media platforms, civilians aren’t the only ones that utilize it to get their message out. Vets do too, and after scouring the internet for a few days we’re proud to bring you our favorite ‘gram accounts run by former United States soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen alike.
There’s 11 in total, so dig in (the header for each is a link you can click to go to their page and follow):
@art15clothing
Run by four veterans, the site has racked up an immense following and also sells stuff (like clothing) with part of the proceeds donated to the veteran community.
Noah Galloway
Mr. Galloway is certainly no stranger to our blog, as we’ve featured the retired United States Army sergeant many times through his inspirational talks and appearances on the mega-hit television show Dancing With the Stars.
Did you know he also has a fantastic Instagram account?
He does.
A photo posted by Noah Galloway (@noahgallowayathlete) on
@ampd_up15
Cody is a retired United States Marine. He loves nature and the outdoors. And guess what? Being outside make for the best Instagram posts (can anyone argue with that??).
My grandma is not only a peach, but a damn fine fisherwoman.
A photo posted by Cody (@ampd_up15) on
Melissa Stockwell
Melissa Stockwell is a “2016 Paralympic hopeful, a 3x [three time] Paratriathlon world champion, a mom, a motivational speaker and a wounded veteran.
Pretty incredible stuff.
Derek Weida
When this United States Army soldier was critically wounded in combat, the double amputee veteran turned to inspiring others through filthy language and whole-hearted motivation.
Oh, and fitness too.
A photo posted by Derek Weida (@derekweida) on
Come walk a mile in my shoe Robert Frost you piece of shit. ?
A video posted by Derek Weida (@derekweida) on
Jacqueline Carrizosa
A military veteran who served during Operation Enduring Freedom and trained troops for deployments all over the world, Jacqueline Carrizosa will wow you with her Instagram feed that features workout clips, dirt biking, firearms and other eye-popping hodgepodge.
Bobby Henline
Bobby is a vet. He’s also a standup comedian and a motivational speaker. His sense of humor shines throughout his feed. This from his personal website:
A veteran of Desert Storm by age 19, Bobby re-enlisted in the Army after the September 11th, 2001 attacks and deployed to Iraq three times with the 82nd Airborne Division and 3rd Armored Calvary regiment. On April 7th, 2007, Bobby’s Humvee was hit by a roadside bomb just north of Baghdad. Of five men in the vehicle, Bobby was the only survivor. Over 38% of his body was burned and his head was burned to the skull; he spent six months in the hospital fighting for his life, and within two years Bobby’s left hand had to be amputated. To date he has had over 40 surgeries.
A few of his posts:
Now that’s a bottle of crown. Time for Canada and I to get down eh
A photo posted by Bobby Henline (@bobby_henline) on
@_annapaulina_
She’s a United States Air Force veteran, and a model. She has more than 17,000 followers on the ‘gram, and you can see why.
@bambam0069
Bryan “BamBam” Marshall is a former U.S. Marine who’s now the president of Wishes For Warriors — a nonprofit that provides outdoor adventures for wounded combat vets.