CPT Ivan Castro

[Sweetbriar]

Update via Powerline.

"How did the whole country become Lenny Bruce-ified?"

[Dan]

SF officer, blinded in Iraq, graduates MCCC

By Gina Cavallaro - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Dec 24, 2009 13:15:38 EST

Capt. Ivan Castro lost his eyesight in Iraq to a spray of hot shrapnel from an 82mm mortar round that landed five feet from his position on a rooftop.

It’s been a long three years since that Sept. 2, 2006 attack, which killed two of his soldiers, and Castro never thought he’d survive his wounds.

But on Dec. 15, Castro, a 21-year veteran of the Army, graduated from the Maneuver Captains Career Course at Fort Benning, Ga., and will soon report to his new assignment as operations officer in Special Forces Recruiting Battalion at Fort Bragg, N.C., according to an Army news release.

When Castro was an enlisted soldier, he was assigned to 7th Special Forces Group.

At the time of the mortar attack southwest of Baghdad, Castro, a first lieutenant at the time, was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division and was a sniper reconnaissance platoon leader.

The mortar caused Castro a bilateral aneurysm, collapsed lung, pulmonary embolism, bone fractures and a nicked artery, in addition to the blindness.

Following his rehabilitation at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., which helped him to adjust to life without sight, and eventually run in the Marine Corps Marathon, he returned to 7th Group.

Throughout his life-changing transition, Castro insisted he not be treated differently, Lt. Col. Fredrick Dummar said in the release.

Dummar worked with Castro at the 7th Special Forces Group and attended his MCCC graduation.

“It was critical for him to attend MCCC,” said Dummar, commander of Special Operations Recruiting Battalion. “You can’t stay on active duty as a captain without it. It would’ve been not only a fight to keep him on active duty with his injuries, but also to keep him on active duty without attending a mandatory school.”

Dummar said in the release that because Castro was a Special Forces soldier and wanted to remain on active duty, his case was reviewed.

“We saw what his potential still was instead of what he can’t do,” Dummar said. “He may not be able to do every job in the Army, but by doing the job he can do, he’s freeing up someone who can see to be doing something else.”

To keep up in classes, Castro said in the release, he used a voice recorder and computer screen-reading software.

Castro enlisted his roommate, Capt. Gerard Torres, as a running buddy to ensure he kept on the track during physical training.

Torres, who attended the Infantry Officer Basic Course with Castro in 2005, said Castro has been an inspiration to him. “We’ve laughed so hard and hated each other like brothers,” Torres said. “The things he’s taught me since the time I’ve known him are invaluable. Sometimes you sit there and start feeling bad for yourself, and then you look over, and there’s Ivan, running 20 miles.”

I'm glad everybody is being nice about their opinions and all, but there is only a part of this story being told for whatever reason...maybe folks don't know the whole deal(?). It's not my place to tell it, so I will refrain, but as in most cases where people's OPINIONS are at odds, there is at least one side that doesn't have all of the information.

There is a tremendous difference in SF and all other military units. There is a reason retention in SF units is higher than in other units even among support troops. That reason is evident here...we take care of our own. Look at the non-tabbers commenting...enough said.

The short of it is that Castro has been given a chance to continue to serve and to be productive. Whatever your piddly OPINIONS are about why he shouldn't be allowed to serve are obviously pointless because he IS serving and doing great things, continuing mission in spite of obstacles to daily living that none of you can even begin to comprehend. Instead of taking it easy, getting fat in a wheelchair with a guide dog towing him around, he is still soldiering on.

With that in mind, further "he shouldn't be serving because..." input should cease, being that it cannot contribute anything more to this thread than has already been stated repeatedly from that corner. It's not only pointless, but ignorant. We've heard your side and he is still on active duty and he is going to stay there and your opinions aren't going to change that, so please spare us.

It's a damn good thing the decision to keep him in was made by someone with some freakin loyalty to a brother-in-arms and not you people with the conventional turd burglar follow the regs mindset.

[The Reaper]

Let me add that Ivan was a former enlisted SF soldier who was in the 82nd when he was injured.

7th Group brought him over and gave him a job that he could do and freed up another Captain to stay on a team, in the fight.

It is what brother warriors do for one another.

TR

[echoes]

Peeking in here...very cautiously to add,

WELL DONE Capt. Castro!!!

You Sir, have been, are, and will continue to be AN INSPIRATION! (Even to those that have never met you in person Sir!)

Thank You for your continued service!!!

Holly & sis

[RB]

For the late arrivals:

http://www.elboricua.com/PRMilitary_CptIvanCastro.pdf

and if I'm not mistaken, it's now Major Castro.

Here's more:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Castro_%28soldier%29

Drop down to 'Awards and Decorations' and then restate your opinions, but I'd venture to say your qualls should be equal or above those earned by Jose Castro.

I'm having a hard time believing the question of his military service is even still being asked.

[NousDefionsDoc]

"The regs!" "The regs!"

Units are commanded by men, not manuals. Or should be and in this case were.

"If him why not all?" Because he is not "all" and at last a case was decided on the merits and not because of "all". Captain Castro is obviously an exception.

The COMMANDERS made the decision based on the individual and the merits. The way things should be. They didn't default back to a manual written by a nameless faceless group of desk jockeys for "all". The COMMANDERS decided that Captain Castro could contribute. They led their unit. My God that we had more of them that thought this way instead of teeth-gnashing over "THE REGS!"

The claim that EVERY other was medically discharged is apparently not true:

Only two other blind officers serve in the active-duty Army: one a captain studying to be an instructor at West Point, the other an instructor at the Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.

It would appear there are two more. And that is just from this war.

The biggest problems with soldiers stem from a lack of combat mindset. Captain Castro has demonstrated that in spades. When we find it, we have to use it as a model for the younger troops.

You think we never did little things to keep Old Warriors in the fight? You think things weren't "compensated for" in the past? Then you know nothing of the Regiment and nothing about SF soldiers.

Being an SF soldier is about over-coming seemingly insurmountable obstacles to achieve The Mission. I would say Captain Castro has demonstrated that ability more than most and is therefore the epitome of an SF soldier. He has been given a new Mission. He is driving on. And there are those that whine about "The Regs!" "The Regs!"

He is without sight, not mind. And the mind is the deadliest weapon, all else is secondary.

http://www.fayobserver.com/Articles/2010/01/24/969669

[greenberetTFS]

Originally Posted by NousDefionsDoc

Next MFer I hear sniveling about how hard training is, I'm punching in the neck.

DOL

I'm with NDD on this...... "Punch them in the neck"......I love it.

Big Teddy

[Richard]

Extenuating and mitigating circumstances have an impact upon the interpretation of every rule and regulation by which we abide - woe be it for us all if that ever changes.

Richard's $.02

[allamerican8204]

I was on the mission in Iraq when Lt.(Now Maj.) Castro was wounded. He was also a PL in D co(my co.) before moving over to HHC. A friend of mine Ralph Porras was killed on the same day by mortar fire. It's probably gotten a lot better since i was there in '06, but in the time I spent there I viewed Al Sadr Yusifiyah(or at least I think we were there when that happened) as a good candidate for a nuke. That place was awful. It was also within a few miles that the soldiers from the 10th mountain were taken prisoner a few months later. Also, my best friend in the military was killed there within an hour of our first mission in Iraq. Oh and I didn't see the posts in question, but glancing through this thread I saw several references to posts from non-tabbed guys who commented on how he shouldn't be holding his job due to his wounds. From my experiences with Maj. Castro I can say that whatever job he is doing even with the disabilities he can easily perform it better than you a**holes. So don't question him. We received Lt. Castro and another tabbed Lt., S. Gailey @ the same time and both were excellent for our entire company. They introduced us to a new way of doing things that led to our entire company's training and SOP's to change greatly for the better.

[Gimp]

Just wanted to drop a post in regards to what happens to our wounded. I was surprised to find out the ignorance of some when going back and reading through this thread.

First off, the military has gotten smart and has stopped throwing people away. The general rule of thumb for initiation of the medboard process is one year post injury or once a service member has completed all surgeries and rehabilitation. It's still the service member's choice whether or not he will remain on active duty. If a person chooses to stay he still goes through the med board, getting everything evaluated and documented. A service member will know his percentages for disability at this time. Once all that's completed it goes to the PEBLO at which time you drop a COAD, Continuation On Active Duty, packet along with it. To be eligible to do a COAD packet you have to meet at least one of three criteria:

1) Be combat wounded
2) Be in a critically short MOS
3) Have at least 15 years service
Along with the COAD packet is DA7652 and whatever letters of recommendation you can scrounge up from your CoC. Once you drop the COAD it basically 'freezes' the process there, then you go on your mary way , and continue to raise hell. The part that sucks is you have to do the whole damn thing again when you decide to finally retire.

One more thing. One of the posts earlier stated, and I'm paraphrasing, that Ivan would be better off monetarily if he got out. Well, yes and no. Ivan was just a 1st Lt when he got hit and now he's a Major. That's a pretty significant pay bump. The longer you stay the more you'll make. Since congress still hasn't fixed concurrent receipt we're stuck with CRSC (Combat Related Special Compensation). If you look on the VA website they have a calculator for it. The formula for calculating it involves a Degree in Quantum Physics IOT figure it out but it does involve years of service. If you have twenty then it works out that you're actually getting both retirement and disability; If you're under twenty you'll get hosed. Now most of us have done everything from DA ops to being "Sally Struthers" in our little fiefdoms. With that being said we could do just about anything; start you're own business, work in anyone of the 'alphabet' agencies, or whatever floats your boat. If you get out and find another job that pays good, combined with your disability then you've got it made.

[blue02hd]

Originally Posted by Gimp

One more thing. One of the posts earlier stated, and I'm paraphrasing, that Ivan would be better off monetarily if he got out. Well, yes and no. Ivan was just a 1st Lt when he got hit and now he's a Major. That's a pretty significant pay bump. .

Cpt Ivan Castro is in fact a Cpt.

[Gimp]

I thought he got picked up for O-4. If not my mistake. Still the point is he's getting paid more.

[Stras]

Anyone that wants to question Ivan Castro's ability to serve should go out and run the Marine Corps Marathon blindfolded, and then make their sniveling comment. I had the honor to meet him in 2008.

Special Forces and SOF take care of our own. The regular army is slowly catching on to the concept, but has a long road to go.

When we taught the USASOC SOF JM course last year, one of our students had a prosthetic leg. He, along with several other students found out that Five Minutes is exactly Five Minutes. I believe that he is the same guy who later graduated the 3rd SFG(A) JM course as the first amputee graduate of any Jumpmaster Course. There is a thread in one of the forums on this website about this. Feel free to use the search function.

There are other wounded warriors serving at the schoolhouse and in various staff positions taking care and training our future SF Brethren.

This is a great example as to the reason why many of us left the conventional army and went Special Forces.

In 1989, one of the Blackhats at Benning had a glass eye, and wore an eyepatch when he was in the aircraft. Someone saw the need to keep him on active duty and not throw him out like a piece of garbage.

Didn't a German officer mention that fact during WWII that it was impossible to fight the Americans using their doctrine because they didn't follow it.