Gretchen Evans is a retired Army Command Sergeant Major and distinguished author and speaker.

Evans is from Abilene, Texas, and joined the United States Army in September 1979. She served her country for 27 years in the Army and was deployed nine times overseas. She worked nationwide and overseas in many roles such as Counterintelligence Agent, Intelligence Analyst, Paratrooper, Military Police, and many more.

Her final assignment would see her in the Middle East as Garrison Command Sergeant Major of Commander, Combined Forces Command, Afghanistan. She was responsible for over 30,000 ground troops in Afghanistan.

During this tour in 2006, CSM Evans was wounded by incoming fire. She incurred life-changing and debilitating injuries, lost all her hearing, and suffered multiple internal and brain injuries. She was hospitalized in Germany for months.

Following her discharge from the hospital, she transitioned from military to civilian life, which proved highly difficult as she had spent much of her adult life in the military. However, undaunted by her injuries, she published a book called, Leading from the Front in October 2017, which became a cornerstone in books written by soldiers. Since then, she has become a highly desired motivational speaker.

How Old Is Gretch Evans?

Although Gretchen Evans’ date of birth has not been made available to the public, various sources surmise that she is 61.

Evans grew up in Abilene, Texas, as one of three siblings. Though she was not raised in a military family, her father was a world war two veteran.

Following her high school graduation, she attended Texas Tech college, but financial difficulties caused her to join the Army.

Although she joined the Army as a way to continue her education, she stated that after six months, she fell in love with the Army and realized it was her calling. While in Afghanistan, she met her future husband, Robert Evans. He was a Navy Captain and senior chaplain for all military serving in the region.

The two fell in love serving together, dealing with the death of soldiers, counseling, grieving, consoling families, and gathering their personal effects. Unfortunately, Captain Evans was recalled to Washington DC and could only correspond by email.

It was by email that Robert expressed his romantic interest, and when Gretchen was summoned to D.C., they had a romantic dinner, over which Robert asked her to marry him,

The mortar attack that rocked her life happened not too soon after, but Robert stood with her through the healing process. Today, the couple lives in Brunswick, Maine.

Gretchen Evans’ Pat Tillman Award Speech

Commander Sergeant Major Gretchen Evans received the Pat Tillman Award for Service at the 2022 ESPY Awards on the 20th of July.

As one of the most decorated female veterans in the history of the United States, Evans has acquired over 27 awards and recognitions during her service, including the Bronze Star, Global War on Terrorism ribbons, the Presidential Unit Citation Medal, and other awards.

Her speech was lauded on social media, and Evans was celebrated for her address and exceptional service. Her speech resonates with not only veterans but civilians as she talked about leadership, teamwork, resilience, grit, and selflessness.

Following her award, Evans has stated that she will continue to work towards the betterment of all veterans and be a source of inspiration for them through her public speaking and books.

Gretchen Evans’ Favorite Activities

Besides her public speaking, Gretchen Evans is an avid fan of extreme sports.

She has run 40 marathons and regularly goes hiking and kayaking with her husband. The most famous of her marathons is 2019, “The World’s Toughest Race,” a 671 km 7-day endurance race held in Fiji.

Although her team didn’t finish the grueling course, they put up a good fight. At 5 feet 2 inches and 98 pounds, Evans might be on the smaller side, but her injuries have not stopped her from living a satisfying and fulfilling life.

Evans was inducted into the U.S. Veteran Hall of Fame in 2019 and the U.S. Women’s Hall of Fame in March 2021.