Surrounded by family and fellow soldiers, Army Sgt. Rigoberto Luviano was awarded the Purple Heart at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on Thursday.
The medal was presented to Luviano after he was wounded in combat in 2013 during his third deployment with the 109th Transportation Company in Afghanistan, an Army release said. The vehicle he was traveling in at the time of the attack was struck by an IED.
The Lexington, N.C., native has been stationed at JBER since 2012. He also was deployed to Kuwait in 2011 and Iraq in 2005.
Lt. Col. John Evans presented the medal to Luviano at the Warrior Transition Battalion's Soldier Family Assistance Center with his family, including wife, Areli Luviano, and daughter, Aura in attendance.
Anchorage Daily News / adn.com