LEXINGTON, Va. Oct. 13, 2025 — Retired U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Travis Mills of the 82^nd Airborne Division will speak at Virginia Military Institute Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 1:30 p.m. in Cameron Hall on Main Street. Mills was critically injured by an improvised explosive device while on patrol in Afghanistan during on his third tour of duty in 2012, losing portions of both legs and both arms. He is one of only five servicemen from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to survive quadruple amputee injuries. His talk, which is part of the H.B. Johnson Jr., 1926, Distinguished Lecture Series, is free and open to the public, and one of the featured sessions during the 16^th Annual Leadership and Ethics Conference hosted by the Center for Leadership and Ethics (CLE).

Mills is the author of two books: “Tough as They Come,” a New York Times bestseller which will be available for purchase and autographed by the author following his talk; and “Bounce Back: 12 Warrior Principles to Reclaim and Recalibrate Your Life.” Mills is also featured in the award-winning documentary, “Travis: A Soldier’s Story.” He and his wife, Kelsey, founded the Travis Mills Foundation, a nonprofit formed to benefit and assist post-9/11 veterans who have been injured in active duty or as a result of their military service.

Lt. Col. Kim Connolly, conference organizer, stated the CLE is proud to offer opportunities to engage with the local community through this and other speaker programs. “Mills’ experience in overcoming his traumatic injuries and building a purposeful new life is an inspirational story of American character and grit. His testimony is a great fit for the conference’s theme, ‘Leading with Integrity.’”  

While registration is not required for Mills’ keynote speech, the public may register to attend the entire two-day leadership conference by visiting VMI’s Leadership Conference website. For more information about the event, contact Connolly at connollykv@vmi.edu. 

- VMI -