Abby Huntsman traveled to Washington for an up-close look at a day in the life of Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), who continues to serve after losing both of his legs in Afghanistan. 

Mast, who was elected to the House of Representatives last November, served as a U.S. Army bomb technician and was severely injured in an IED explosion in Sept. 2010. 

The 36-year-old veteran sat down with Huntsman and to discuss the attack and why he decided to continue his service by running for Congress.

Mast was on a team clearing explosive devices for Army Rangers in southern Afghanistan when they came to a river that he suspected was mined by the enemy.

The team stopped, but one soldier fell in the waterway. He moved to help pull the soldier out, but stepped on an explosive device. 

He said he remembers being thrown five to 10 feet away in a cloud of dust and hearing urgent messages on the radio as his fellow soldiers called for medical help.

Mast told Huntsman that he woke up at a hospital in Washington, D.C. to see that he had lost his legs.

Luckily, a friend had tracked him down, contacted his wife, gotten a family photograph and taped it to Mast's hospital gurney.

"He did it so that the first thing I would ever see would be my wife and my son looking back at me," Mast said.

Mast said that he also received support and inspiration from his father.

"He said, 'Brian, you can't let this keep you down. You've got to find a way to pull yourself up, get out there and get back to work,'" Mast said.

He revealed that helped him realize that he still had a purpose in life and he could still contribute on a different battlefield: Congress.

He told Huntsman that the job can be difficult and arduous, but it's all worth it to continue serving the American people.

"When you accomplish something great, when you go out there and do something great for the people back home, for the country, for freedom, for standing up for the Constitution, for fiscal responsibility, you've accomplished something good," Mast said. "And it makes every sacrifice worth it."

Watch the full inspiring story above and don't miss Abby on Saturday and Sunday mornings on "Fox & Friends Weekend."



