Alumni Spotlight

Congratulations, Craig Fitzgerald,
2007 Alumnus of the Year!

Alumnus of the Year, Craig Fitzgerald

Born and raised in Nashua, NH. Craig joined the Boys & Girls Club of Nashua in 1985.  He was involved in: Basketball, Swimming, The Edge, Toastmasters, and other youth leadership programs.  He joined the Air Force in 1995 immediately following high school. Craig served the first four years as a Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) Instructor at the U.S. Air Force Survival School, Fairchild AFB, WA.  He instructed aircrew members and other selected military personnel during both the academic and field training phases of the U.S. Air Force Combat Survival Training Course. Course objectives included: environmental adaptation, medical care, signaling, communications, navigation, and evasion. Craig was later assigned to Lackland AFB, TX where he recruited, screened, and evaluated all students entering the SERE Instructor Training Course.

In 1999 Craig re-trained into the Pararescue career field, specializing in advance trauma medicine, and various rescue and recovery techniques.  Following successful completion of the two-year training program he was assigned to Hurlburt Field AFB, FL, eventually deploying in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF).  Upon return from overseas, he was reassigned to Moody AFB, GA where he re-deployed, again in support of OEF.  During this deployment, he was chosen to serve as the Pararescue team leader in support of a joint operation with other Special Operations units in country.  During this joint operation, the team encountered heavy ground fire and Craig ultimately received multiple gunshot wounds. As a result, he underwent eleven surgeries and extensive rehabilitation. Craig was medically retired from active duty April 16, 2004.

Following his most recent surgery, Craig and a friend, David Wilcoxen, recently walked the Appalachian Trail to raise money for other wounded soldiers, eventually generating over $150,000. He continues to help troops as the National Event Manger for the Coalition to Salute Heroes, a non-profit organization serving wounded soldiers returning from Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. He currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada with his wife, Dawn.

Do you know an outstanding alumni? If so, please click here to send us information or contact Kurt Norris, Director of Operations, at (603) 883-0523 x213 or kdnorris@bgcn.com.