Airborne Infantry Machine Gunner in Afghanistan | Blake Griebenow

Blake Griebenow enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2011 and served as a 240 Bravo machine gunner with Blackfoot Platoon, Apache Company, 2-87 Infantry in Logar Province, Afghanistan. During a high-tempo deployment at the start of the U.S. drawdown, he would eliminate one of the top bomb-makers in the area during a battle that claimed the life of a fellow soldier. He later transferred to the 3-509 Parachute Infantry Regiment in Alaska, where he conducted jumps in Australia and earned Japanese Jump Wings. After returning to Minnesota, Blake joined the 1-194th Infantry Regiment (Minnesota Army National Guard) and was activated during the 2020 Minneapolis riots.