Severely wounded soldier from Olympia faces 'long road ahead'

Severely wounded soldier from Olympia faces 'long road ahead'
The Olympian
ADAM ASHTON
Staff writer
Published June 07, 2013

Sgt. Luke Cifka left for Afghanistan this past spring determined to return home to his wife and infant son.

He’s back in the states with family, but not in the way he wanted.

The 26-year-old soldier from Olympia suffered critical injuries during a patrol in Logar province on May 31. He’s at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland at the beginning of what his wife describes as a “long road ahead.”

“We’re very, super, super lucky that as serious as his injuries are, he’s still alive,” said Kait Cifka, 23. The family did not want to describe publicly at this time the extent of his wounds nor how they were inflicted.

Sgt. Cifka reached Walter Reed on Tuesday in a sedated state. He’s doing better now. His wife described him as alert during times when he’s not recovering from or preparing for surgeries. He even had his family members laughing Thursday night.

“He’s doing surprisingly well,” she said.
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