ANNISTON, Ala. — Though he lost his nose, lips and most of his sight after an encounter with a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Army Master Sgt. Jeffrey Mittman doesn’t let that stop him from sharing his story.

Mittman, 40, spoke Thursday to a crowd at Anniston Army Depot’s Physical Fitness Center, sharing tales that brought chuckles and a few tears. The event was part of the depot’s “Operation Tell Your Story” program, which unites the depot workforce with soldiers who use equipment is repaired in Anniston.

Depot workers store, maintain and build equipment for the U.S. military. The program also gives soldiers a firsthand look at how combat vehicles, small arms weapons and artillery pieces are refurbished at the depot.

While serving his fourth combat tour in July 2005, Mittman and a team of four others were attacked by enemy combatants. An improvised explosive device was thrown through the driver’s side of the Humvee he was driving, Mittman said. The bomb destroyed all of his facial bones, and left him unconscious for a month.

He has since undergone more than 40 surgeries to reconstruct his face, and said there are still a few more to go. While recovering, he’s traveled around the country retelling his story to at least 15 other groups this year.

Anniston Mayor Gene Robinson presented Mittman with a key to the city in recognition of his having gone “above and beyond the call of duty.”

Coming to Anniston is important, Mittman said, because it lets depot employees meet end-users of products manufactured and serviced there.

“Sometimes when you’re working day after day, you lose sight of the importance of your work. I wanted to express appreciation (to the depot) for what’s done here,” he said after his speech. “(The work done at the depot) is not just about accomplishing a mission; it’s about safety (for soldiers), too.”

Maj. Jeff Lewis, deputy director of contracting at the depot, said it was important for workers to hear Mittman speak.

“Any time we get to hear from a soldier that’s been in combat theater is good,” he said. “This is the ultimate customer that benefits from what we do. It’s always good to get that feedback.”

Mittman shared with the audience the struggles he’s encountered during his recovery and how support provided by the military and his family has encouraged him.

“I was laying on the ground, close to death, and a 19- or 20-year-old medic used the training and equipment (the U.S. military) gave him, and saved my life,” he said. “It was that initial care I was given by my brothers in arms that got me here.”

He also told the crowd about the reaction of the older of his two daughters, who was 8 at the time of his injuries, when her mother tried to explain his change in appearance.

Audience members wiped tears from their eyes when he said the young girl looked at a photo of his injuries and said, “That’s OK, mommy. I still see daddy.”

“Those two little girls were able to pick me up and carry me down the road to recovery,” he said.