Ringgold High graduate loses legs in Afghanistan

United States Army Spc. Jason Smith hasn't lost his sense of humor.

Smith, a 2004 Ringgold High School graduate, was injured severely Thursday when he stepped on an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan, losing both his legs and fracturing both hands. But he's still cracking jokes.

"The first thing he said to my dad was, 'Dad, I'm OK, but I lost a few pounds,'" said Shannon Rominger, Smith's sister. "I talked to his commanding officer, and the first thing he said was about how Jason was always joking."

Rominger said their father, Larry Smith, was the first to receive the news about Smith's injury.

"The first thing, when my dad said Jason was injured, the first thing I asked was, 'Is he alive?'" Rominger said. "After I heard that he was — I don't know if it really sunk in until later. I was worried until I talked to him yesterday. I'm still worried, but I know everyone's going to be there for him."

Smith's sister-in-law Margaret Smith, who lives in Oakley, Calif., called him "a comic and a fun-loving guy."
"I love that he brought his light to his unit," Margaret Smith said. "The members that I've been able to talk to, all they say is how he brought up morale."

Smith is expected to be taken to Brooks Army Medical Center in San Antonio in the next few days to continue his recovery. His family -- including Rominger, their father and Margaret Smith and her husband, Daniel — plan to visit Smith in Texas as he recovers. Rominger said Smith cannot wait to be back with his family.

Read More. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)