In 1996, voters elected Max Cleland, a Democrat from Georgia, to the United States Senate, becoming only the second amputee to hold the job. Cleland lost both of his legs and one arm in a grenade explosion while serving in the Vietnam War. Since his accident in 1968, Cleland has acted as a public servant, first in the Georgia State Senate, and later as an appointee by Jimmy Carter to head the U.S. Veterans Administration. As a freshman U.S. senator, Cleland works as a member on several committees including the Armed Services Committee and the Small Business Committee.