--- title: "General Petraeus returned to duty days after being shot in the chest with an M-16" description: "Few soldiers like calling in sick. No officer proves this more than David Petraeus, who was shot in the chest and went right back to work." date: "2022-01-31" modified: "2022-01-31" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/petraeus-shot-returned-in-days/" categories: - "Army" - "History" --- # General Petraeus returned to duty days after being shot in the chest with an M-16 ![]() There are a lot of reasons for soldiers to visit sick call. Sure, there are a lot of skaters among the ranks of U.S. troops, but most of the military is looking to stay away from doctors and stay in the fight — especially while deployed. No officer exemplifies this more than Gen. David Petraeus, who was shot in the chest due to a negligent discharge. The doctors were not thrilled at the prospect of letting then-Lt. Col. Petraeus walk out of the hospital. Just days before, the colonel was participating in a live-fire exercise at Fort Campbell, KY when a soldier under his command tripped. The fall caused the soldier to fire his M-16 rifle, hitting Petraeus in the chest. Of course, Lt. Col. Petraeus survived. --- ![Petraeus giving a thumbs up. He was shot in the chest but returned to work the next week]() *"Ooh, good attempt, Private Dipsh\*t. If you had tried that at the range, you might have a sharpshooter badge."* "*I remember standing for a moment and then going down to my knees and slumping to the ground,*" said Petraeus. "*The next I recall was being worried about the effect on the unit and delaying training. So I instructed the leaders to just prop me up against a tree with a canteen*." Then, like a true soldier, he instructed medics not to cut off his load-bearing equipment because it took him so long to get it together and put it on. Medics then tended to his wound just like it says in the Soldier's Manual. They then airlifted him to Blanchfield Army Community Hospital where doctors were forced to tend to his wounds without anesthesia. He was later rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for more care. Despite having been shot, Petraeus couldn't just languish in the hospital for months at a time. He was the commander of the *Iron* Rakkasans, not the *Wet Paper Bag* Rakkasans. He may not look like it at first glance, but the decorated Army officer is tough as nails and is willing to prove it. That's exactly how he was able to leave the hospital soon after. ![Gen. David Petraeus, who was shot in the chest]() *"Come at me, son. My life has its own Konami Code."* The surgeon that operated on David Petraeus that day in Nashville would later go on to work with Petraeus as a General. Republican Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist helped save the young officer's life and later took testimony from the general on how he intended to train Iraqi troops. Before that, however, Lt. Col. Petraeus needed to get out of the hospital. To prove to his civilian doctors that he was fine and ready for duty, Petraeus did 50 pushups without resting – just days after being shot by a 5.56 round in the chest from 40 meters and then undergoing surgery to repair the damage. "*(It) feels like a combination of the most enormous blow imaginable and being hit in the back with a massive hammer from the force of bullet exiting the body*," [Petraeus told The Leaf-Chronicle.]() "*I was very fortunate that the bullet did not sever an artery... I was also very fortunate that the bullet hit over the 'A' in 'Petraeus' rather than the 'A' in 'U.S. Army.'*" ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()