Soldiers Reunite: A few great men and their stories.

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. 

This past weekend was Columbus Day Weekend.  A strategically placed weekend that allows college students to Soldiers on the front line claim "4 day" (military term for 4 days off in a row).  Usually 4 days are used to travel to extravagant areas, or to do something intense like free falling and rock climbing.  This weekend I stayed right in town at good old High Falls, New York.  A group of my short lives heros were coming in town for the weekend and we were all going to spend time together.  I had not seen them since the day I was removed from the battlefield.  What I would like to do is use there personal stories and lay out an incident that occurred to them in Afghanistan.

CPT Bryson Shipman-  2008 graduate, was in BOLC, IBOLC and Ranger with me.  Then through the Army we got assigned to the same battalion at Fort Campbell 2-502.  After convincing the boss a little bit I was told that I was going down to Delta Company, Shipman and I were going to be platoon leaders together.  Shipman, Ivey, Weaver and Snook.  We were the uh "dreamteam",  more like 3 studs trying to get the new platoon leader "me"  figure out how to properly do my job.  I would never have been a quality platoon leader if it were not for these individuals guidance and teaching.  Bryson was moved to XO prior to our deployment for manageable faults within the upper level of our Company.   He was told he would not lead a platoon in combat and the news angered and saddened him.  But Bryson being a professional took his job very seriously and was extremely successful as an XO.  He went out on several patrols but one patrol was unique.  As he walked along a path he thought he had felt something compress beneath his feet, under further inspection is was a very large IED.   They cleared out of the area and the IED was blown up.  Later found to be nearly 100lbs of HME that Bryson had been stepping on just an hour earlier.  100lbs that would have sent him atleast 65 feet in the air and would have required the mission to change to 'find body parts'.  A strong Texas man I am sure Bryson sees past this but it still wares on his mind.

Cory Kastl-  West Point grad 2008, BOLC/IBOLC/Ranger School, then assigned to the good old 2-502.  Cory was a leader in the battalion.  One of the guys that just seemed to do everything right.  If I needed advice on war related topics I went to him.  If I wanted advice on lifting weights, as Cory was an all american championship boxer, I would go to him.  Cory certainly was considered an immense asset to our battalion because he possessed the will power and leadership that you dont see in many junior leaders.  

December 12, 2010- Members of Cory Kastl's platoon worked long hours to set up the new outpost out in the village near Sangsar, the birthplace of the Taliban.  Squads were out on patrol while others continued to fortify the new outpost.  The men had worked to exhaustion and it was time to put some of the Soldiers on rest cycles.  The Soldiers laid down in the building for the the last time they would sleep.  A massive vehicle born improvised explosive device, essentially a van packed with explosives, drove past the outpost and exploded directly next to the sleeping building.  I have never asked Cory nor am sure it would be appropriate to about what happened next.  The end result was 6 soldiers dead, some of them from being barred alive in the rubble.  Cory himself had been trapped and received lacerations to his face and skull.  I had been tracking the story through the news paper for days, prior to finding out it was Cory's Platoon and I broke down crying in my basement when I heard.  I felt bad for the dead, and I felt bad for the living.  The living would have to carry this for eternity and I cried for them and Cory.  

Larkin O'hern was a 2008 West Point grad, BOLC/IOBC/Ranger School.  Larkin came to 2-502 and was immediately granted a position at platoon leader in Bravo country.  Since I started to get to know Larkin mostly at Benning I can tell you he was a quiet but very poignant.  The man spoke with conviction and with confidence on all issues.  Standards were key to him, yet at the same time he knew how to hold a conversation and be a close friend.  He was the perfect balance of confidence and empathy.  I am sure by having a new wife by his side she aided in this attributes and encouraged Larkin. 

New Years Day 2011-  Trying to work through the normal New Years Day hangover, I laid there in bed and reached for the computer.  I decided to check Facebook for the normal stupidity that interests us all.  As I got on a message popped up from my good friend Jake Ivey.  We exchanged normal talk, then he said, "Man really sorry to hear about Larkin?"  I said excuse me, "He said Larkin lost both his legs and his right hand on December 30th." ........."Jake I have to go sorry."  My eyes welled up, I crutched upstairs to be around my family and my mom came over and rubbed my arm, she said "are you ok kyle?"  I dont think I got a word out for 5 minutes, I just sat there and cried as my mom held me.  A massive IED had just taken my friends legs  and right hand, also mortally wounding another Soldier in the process.  

As I hung out with the three of them, Larkin with his amazing wife Rachel and Cory with his uh not to far from soon to be wife Megan and Bryson, it was crazy to reflect on how much has happened in one year.  I was blown away by Larkin's drive to maneuver freely.  I am sure he could have sat in the wheelchair all weekend had he wanted to, but no he wanted to walk around.  With  the curious stares of onlookers you could see a look in his eyes that he certainly could care less what they were thinking and barely acknowledged their starers.  Cory who has always been a strong guy was so concerned with the health and needs of others that I wish I would have gotten an opportunity to talk more about how he is doing....I mean how he is really doing.  And Bryson, my best friend for the past 4 years, the mental side of war that only few speak about.  Running medevacs for dead and wounded soldiers or children, not feeling as though you were adequately used, and knowing that had that IED gone off that would have been the end of him.  I admire his mental strength.

José Narosky once said, "in war, there are no unwounded Soldiers."  The mental and physical scars left behind can not be compared nor related to one another.  What may mentally destroy one person, may be just another day at work.  I have struggled with the mental side of war most recently, and I consistently struggle with justifying my feelings when comparing them to others who are less fortunate than myself.  It is to not play down there injury, nor to embellish upon my own, but experiences as potent at these leave scars that only time and love can heal.  I love my friends very much and I am committed to giving them my time to ensure they heal.  Cause as a lot of people have said "Its just a bump in the road,"  and as my friend Larkin responded, "Yeah but its a pretty big fricken bump."

Thank you all for listening and please comment if you have any questions.