He was deployed to Iraq in February of that same year. In April 2003, J.R. was serving as a driver of a Humvee when his left front tire hit a landmine and he suffered severe burns to more than 40% of his body as well as smoke inhalation. He was then evacuated to Landstuhl, Germany for immediate care and then eventually Martinez arrived at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) in San Antonio, TX to begin his road to recovery. He spent 34 months at BAMC, undergoing 32 different surgeries, including skin grafts and cosmetic surgery.

After his recovery, he joined the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes as a National Spokesperson in 2004. He has since worked with CSAH to promote their financial assistance and support programs to other wounded service members and inspire the lives of others through his amazing story of resilience, perseverance and optimism. While J.R.'s experience is certainly life-changing, amazingly JR claims this is actually a change for the better. He's discovered it's what's inside a person that matters most and devotes himself to showing others the true value in making the most of every situation.