kcentv.com - KCEN HD - Waco, Temple, and KilleenBreaking Ground on a Home for a Wounded Warrior

The community comes to the rescue of a Fort Hood soldier who has risked his own life to rescue others.

Thanks to Operation Finally Home, SPC Michael Ryan and his wife CareyLyn are breaking ground on a brand new, mortgage free home in Georgetown. 

"To be able to have a home be provided for us, something that we'll be able to live in and be comfortable in and know that my husband will be able to thrive in this environment, It is definitely the next step into the new chapter of lives," said CareyLyn.

SPC Ryan is living with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury after serving as a med tech in Iraq and Afghanistan.

CareyLyn quit her job to care for him when he was injured in 2008, and with the end of his military career in sight, they'll soon both be out of work.

"It was a big burden for us to be able to think of ok, what's the next step, how are we going to be able to move from here and get on with our lives and get to a better place," CareyLyn said.

Now that burden has been lifted, as Operation Finally Home and Jimmy Jacobs builders reveal plans for their 2,443 square foot home.

"You don't have to like the war, but we should love our warriors and take care of them, because not only are they our warriors, they're our humanitarians and peace-keepers," said Daniel Vargas, executive director of Operation Finally Home.

Jimmy Jacobs Custom Homes President Kevin Fleming said, "I hope it's just a new beginning, for them it's a clean start in a new neighborhood that's welcoming them with open arms."

CareyLyn says they truly are finally home.

"This is where we belong, and this is where we're going to be able to raise a family," she said.

Now that the ground has been broken, they're one step closer to that dream, and their new, three bedroom home will be completed in four to six months.

Operation Finally Home started in Texas in 2005 and has since spread to eight other states.

Reporter/Photographer: Sophia Stamas sstamas@kcentv.com