TAMPA, Fla. — All month long, Spectrum Bay News 9 has been honoring Tampa Bay Area veterans for their service and sacrifice, including retired Army Captain Dan McConnell, who lost his hand in a helicopter crash while serving in Afghanistan.

McConnell was an Apache helicopter pilot who was on a mission in Afghanistan, escorting a Black Hawk during a suspected ambush when his chopper crashed straight into the ground.

“I remember opening my eyes and I could look out just over the tops of my boots and there was just desert right in front of my feet. The whole front of the aircraft is gone,” McConnell said.  “I picked up my arm, expecting to see it mangled and turned the wrong way.  And instead, it was just an empty sleeve.”

McConnell was medically retired from the Army and his recovery took about a year.  Not only did he push through, but McConnell went on to pursue yet another dream- becoming a doctor.  He was accepted into medical school before deploying overseas and wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity. Now he’s Dr. McConnell, specializing in emergency medicine.

McConnell spent the past five years working locally, until he was let go during the pandemic.

“I didn’t expect it.  I was told when things picked back up, they’d bring me back on,” McConnell said.  “But it was still just crushing to lose the job and unfortunately, emergency medicine was one of the hardest hit.”

As a way of coping, McConnell picked up the sport of hockey, playing with the Tampa Warriors, a branch of the USA Warriors Ice Hockey Program, a nonprofit aimed at helping veterans heal.

“Even just having a bad day and just coming out and getting them in, makes you feel better,” McConnell said. “It’s nice to be back in a team. I spent almost 12 years in the army where you’re always on a team.”

It’s a hobby McConnell says takes his mind off the disappointments that come with the job search

“When a veteran gets visibly disabled and overcomes and everything, it’s a great inspiration. But when you show up at a job interview and you have a hook, your job interview is over,” McConnell said. “You see it on people’s faces as soon as you walk in.”

But McConnell said he won’t give up. It’s not in his nature. The right job is out there and in the meantime, he’s determined to stay busy.

“It’s nice to be somewhere you’re not an inspiration. You’re just another guy working the ice,” McConnell said.  “We come here, take out frustrations on the ice hitting the pucks and go have a beer afterwards and build each other back up.”

McConnell says the team is always looking for more players.  Click here for more information.