Army veteran and Purple Heart recipient Danielle Green speaks during C.O.D.E. Bowl VI, the sixth iteration of the Call of Duty Endowment’s annual military gaming tournament, in late September 2025. (Call of Duty Endowment)
Danielle Green wears many hats: Army veteran and Purple Heart recipient, mother, public speaker for Wounded Warrior Project — and, now, video game character.
Green is featured in a downloadable in-game pack for the upcoming game Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. Purchases of the pack support the Call of Duty Endowment, a nonprofit that helps provide veterans with high-quality jobs.
The character, 50/50, already existed but was adjusted to match Green as much as possible — being outfitted with signature details inspired by Green and with an arm that is virtually identical to a real prosthetic arm Green received from one of the world’s leading prosthetics makers, Open Bionics.
Already a well-known figure in certain circles, Green made her character debut at C.O.D.E. Bowl VI, the sixth iteration of the nonprofit’s annual gaming tournament between military branches’ esports teams.
A promotional graphic for purchasable in-game Call of Duty content, announced at C.O.D.E. Bowl VI and to be featured in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. (Call of Duty Endowment via X)
Army veteran Danielle Green is the real figure behind the in-game pack that will help raise funds for the Call of Duty Endowment. (Call of Duty Endowment)
Green was a military police officer based out of Fort Lewis (now Joint Base Lewis-McChord) in Washington when she deployed to Iraq in early 2004, tasked with training police officers in Baghdad. She was on the rooftop of a police station in the city’s center when it came under fire by insurgents, and she was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.
“I just remember just being in shock,” Green said. “And then I remember being angry because I didn’t want to die at 27 years old.”
After waking up in a hospital bed, Green realized her arm was gone. She said she felt grief for her arm and military career, which at that point was only 15 months old, as well as gratitude that she was alive.
She also learned her platoon sergeant and leader had returned to the rooftop, under heavy fire and against orders, to retrieve her arm — and though it was too damaged to be salvaged, they found her rings, which was “significant” because she had gotten married only weeks before the attack.
Those rings are featured in her game character, among other personal details such as the date of her injury, purple coloring representing her Purple Heart, and a patch representing her player number (12) from her days playing basketball for Notre Dame.
A closeup of Green’s arm from Open Bionics, which was customized for her. (Call of Duty Endowment)
A closeup of Green’s arm from Open Bionics, which was customized for her. (Call of Duty Endowment)
Aside from being an uplifting figure for one of the endowment’s in-game packs — which often depict inspiring veterans — the endowment’s mission on veteran employment resonates with Green.
“Like I just went from this soldier, you know, highly trained soldier,” Green said of her transition to civilian life. “I’m strong, I’m winning in life. And now I’m in the unemployment line.”
Green also endured stigma as a female veteran missing a limb and credited her husband with helping her adjust.
“At the time, I didn’t have this cosmetic arm, I had an arm with a hook,” she said. “There was some shame that came with that.”
The CEO of Open Bionics, Samantha Payne, reached out to Green directly in April to ask if she would participate in the company’s partnership with the Call of Duty Endowment. Green received the arm that same month.
Payne had for years quietly followed Green, finding her inspiring, Payne told Stars and Stripes, adding that the other inspiring figures she keeps an eye on are also veterans.
Because Open Bionics’ prosthetics are designed in close collaboration with patients, Green is not just an inspiring person, but “a really good representation of the type of people that we’ve been working with in the co-design of the product,” Payne said.
Many of the veterans Open Bionics works with have active lifestyles and need something durable, Payne explained. “Danielle is like a super busy person, super active, very fit,” and therefore a good representation of who the new arm is designed for.
Green’s new arm, the Hero RGD (pronounced “Rugged”), is the result of years of development and constant feedback Open Bionics received from veterans, and is designed with veterans in mind.
The feedback came not only from U.S. veterans, but Ukrainian ones. Payne said the startup has for years partnered with a Ukrainian nonprofit to assist wounded Ukrainian service members returning from the front lines.
Open Bionics works with the VA, which covers Hero RGD, Payne said. The VA has fitted the arm to veterans directly, but veterans can also get fitted through Open Bionics and seek coverage from the VA, according to Payne.
A closeup of the Hero RGD, Open Bionics’ new prosthetic geared toward veterans. (Open Bionics)
The Hero RGD is Open Bionics’ new prosthetic geared toward veterans, who often need support for active lifestyles. (Open Bionics)
Payne co-founded Open Bionics with the conviction that 3D printing would allow advanced prosthetics to be sold at a much lower price.
It was the first company to bring a 3D-printed medical device to market, Payne said, adding that it faced skepticism in its early days from experts concerned it was not sufficiently vetted.
But those concerns have diminished with time, and the company’s products have even gone viral — such as when an influencer recorded how her prosthetic hand can move even when detached.
“I just think it’s so cool that [Green] inspired the character in the game,” Payne said. “And then we’ve been able to make the game version in real life for her. It’s such a nice blend of science fiction and science fact.”
