The Billek Family

U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Danny Joe Billek was born in Springfield, Illinois. After a challenging early childhood, he moved to Florida and was raised by his aunt and uncle. An honor student in high school, he attended two years of college at The University of South Florida.

He joined the military at 22 and served for nearly 14 years, including four combat deployments: three to Iraq and one to Afghanistan. Billek’s first deployment was for 12 months in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004-05. He re-enlisted in 2007 as a Motor Transport Operator and was deployed to Camp Taji, Iraq, serving from 2007-2008.

Following his second deployment, he rose to Battalion Truck Master while stationed at Ft. Stewart, Ga. He was deployed for a third time to Iraq in 2010 for nine months, and a fourth time to Afghanistan in 2012 for seven months.

A right-knee injury suffered during his final deployment ended his combat readiness, so he was stationed to Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. There, he excelled as a teacher and leader on the base, serving as a master resiliency trainer, battalion financial readiness NCO, suicide prevention leader, licensed examiner and instructor, and company master driver. After two years at Ft. Sill, complications from surgery on his knee required that he medically separate from the Army in 2016.

While serving nearly four years in combat, Billek sustained additional injuries to his spine, both shoulders and hips. Today, he also battles cognitive impairment from head injuries, tinnitus, and PTSD.

For his service, Billek received numerous awards including a Combat Action Badge, an Iraq Campaign Medal with three stars, an Afghanistan Campaign Medal with two stars, four Army Commendation Medals and five Army Achievement Medals, among many others.

Billek met his wife, Kimberly, at 20 and deployed for the first time just months after they were married in October 2002. The couple has four children, aged 17, 13 and 11-year-old twins. Both Danny and Kimberly Billek returned to school to complete undergraduate degrees during their marriage, and both are now pursuing PhDs in education.

Lennar is proud to partner with Operation FINALLY HOME in providing U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Danny Billek and his family a mortgage-free home at Liberty Ridge in Bartow, Florida