I understand the 'band of brothers' ideal--but still worry about the 'precedent' and a foreseeable Army of so many 'exceptions' that it cannot adequately perform the tasks for which it is charged. :confused:

OK--I've said my piece and I am done. It will be what it will be. I hope it will be for the best for all of us, however it turns out. :)

Richard's $.02 :munchin
--
BT

Understand your concern for 'precedent', but I can also see the 'precedent' that should have been put in place decades ago for our 'forgotten heroes' coming back from VN.

I'm not saying this to get in good with that era. I'm saying this because of the way the warriors were treated coming back from DS 1.

Parades, medals, and I know of several warriors that were given staff jobs because of injuries suffered during that war.

Is it wrong to take care of warriors that offered their lives for their countries? Rhetorical, regs or no regs.

I attended the 1st ANCOC/O & I [May '94] with an SFC from 5th SFG with half a calf [SFC Powers]. He had been shot by an Iraqi but was still allowed to stay on active duty and did a great job, fulfilling the requirements of an active duty E-7, minus the PT.

I could not then nor can see now throwing these warrior hero soldiers to the whims of the civilian world solely because they were injured in defense of their country, basically, you, and I.

Notsomuch you Richard, but try turning out the lights, walking around with a blindfold on, and still trying to defend your country.

That, my friend, takes Patriotism to a new level.

:)

It really is unfortunate that this thread has changed tone from one of show-casing a true modern inspriration, to what we have here,, As he is my brother that has been on my left and right, let me respond once again:

Brother, with all due respect, you are out of line.

In all the time I have spent with Ivan, both on and off the battlefield, I have never once seen the selfish and greedy behavior that you are claiming his appointment is all about. This is a man who always put his troops first, would give you the shirt off his back, and had a way of making every facet of our existence in the box better. His soldiers loved him, his peers respected him, and his superiors trusted him. This is an observation from the 5 meters line. As others have posted: You bet I'm Biased.

Now, before anyone has a right to explain the true actions and intent of another person, they had better have atleast met the individual, done their research, and confirmed those claims. To say this is a decision motivated by money is sad. Very sad. I won't speak for his finances, that is not my place, nor is it anyone elses. Thats like saying "He only joined SF for the hat". I am still in the belief that we have guys on the teams that love what they do, and the ones they work with as they do it. Maybe things have changed since other posters have served, but for me, this has not.

Ivan continues to give all he has in order to become a better soldier, leader, and person. Hell, he motivates me just thinking about what he and his wife went through, and he still chooses to lace those boots up after running PT everyday. By a show of hands, who else has ran the Boston Marathon with a respectable time even?

It is far easier for me to see that Ivan was offered a job back in the Group he loved because the Commanders saw something in him that they felt was still important, and worth supporting, as opposed to worrying about "the bottom line". Either way, the decision has been made, and I for one believe it will add to and not take away from 7th.



If I am wrong, then I'll smile through the retest,,,,,

I haven't made any suggestions about CPT Castro's motivations because I've never met CPT Castro. My issue is not with him, but rather with the decision to continue his active duty service in violation of the regs. What specific job will he be doing..? If you think I'm wrong fine, tell me what position he will fill in the MTO&E; every duty position has a minimum PULHES.

I too remember a SGM with a prosthetic leg in 7th Group, but he was able to do all his job requirements, including taking the APFT.

I don't think a typo shows disrespect, just imperfect typing. It is not commonplace for blind soldiers to be kept on active duty for an extended period, and three years is an extended period. I have no grudge against SF or SF officers, especially officers I've never met. I do know COL Mulholland quite well, as we served together, and friend or not he's still wrong.

I'm surprised that I've either been told I'm living in the past or that I'm showing disrespect to one of our fallen heroes by suggesting we follow the regulations for the severely wounded. The purpose of the US military is the defense of our national security, and Special Forces has an extremely important part of that mission.

I said from the start I was going to get heat about this because I wasn't saying the popular thing, which is that CPT Castro is an inspiration and should be allowed to remain in Group. He is an inspiration, and that won't change even though someday he will take off that uniform. However, that doesn't mean he should fill a position that he is physically incapable of handling.

Please understand I have nothing but the deepest respect and admiration for CPT Castro and all the other wounded veterans who have given so much to their country.

Had the honor to meet him today. What an inspiration.

Seeing Captain Castro
 

Update via Powerline.

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

SF officer, blinded in Iraq, graduates MCCC
 

SF officer, blinded in Iraq, graduates MCCC

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

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.

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

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!):lifter

Thank You for your continued service!!!

Holly & sis

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.

"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:
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.

Update
 

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

Big Teddy :munchin

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 :munchin

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.

Staying in after you're wounded
 

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.

Cpt Ivan Castro is in fact a Cpt.

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

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.

Retirement?
 

When CPT Castro retires, will he be eligible for regular retirement or will he be medically discharged or receive 100% disability? Will there be any distinction? Was he retained so that he could get in his 20? It seems to me that a full medical disability would pay more than staying in for 20. If this is the case, he is even more a worthy individual to not let financiual reasons sway his decision to remain in harness.

On another note, I proudly served under BG Fred Franks at 7th Army in Grafenwoehr. BG Franks left a leg in RVN and set a precedent of remaining on active duty after his injury. He still ran PT with his prosthesis in the days of not very well designed artificial limbs.

NDD,

I just love it, the punching in the neck part..............:cool:;)

BIG Teddy :munchin

On another note, I proudly served under BG Fred Franks at 7th Army in Grafenwoehr. BG Franks left a leg in RVN and set a precedent of remaining on active duty after his injury. He still ran PT with his prosthesis in the days of not very well designed artificial limbs. That man was a hero.

I was making my 6th jump at the Q course as a strap hanger. He was sitting next to me and noticed that I was nervous (I'd never made a night jump). He elbowed me in the side with that big smile of his and asked me what was wrong. I told him that I hadn't jumped at night in a long time (ever!) He assured me that it was just like jumping the daytime, only darker. He then looked down at his boot and said "damn! It's untied again." He took his leg off and tightened the boot. Then he took out a boot lace and tied from the top of his boot to his belt and said "the last time I jumped, I lost the dammed thing!" Shock and disbelief overcame my nerviousness about jumping at night.

The next time I served with him, he was a our B tm SGM. The unit dropped into Colorado. Carlos decided to aim for the DZ ambulance but landed on the other side. After his PLF, he took his leg and turned it around backwards. He began to yell in pain. A brand-new female, leg 91B medic came running over and saw the horribly damaged leg, completely turned 180 from where it should have been. She blanched and said "oh crap! What should I do? Someone help me!" Carlos looked at her and said "Here's what you do" when he took his plastic leg and turned it back 180 degrees. Her eyes crossed and she passed out. Carlos loved doing that. Last I saw him he was a civilian at SWC but may have retired by now. He was a legend.

Hey Zauber...
 

The key is making it to 20 for retirement; 20 locks you in for the 50%. When he does go to retire he's going to have to do a medboard. Well, let me back up. The way the system works now is everyone who has a serious injury does a medboard. When I say injury I don't mean just combat wounded. IOT stay on active duty you have to submit a COAD (Continuation On Active Duty) packet. IOT qualify for the COAD program you have to fall in at least one of three categories:

1) Combat wounded
2) Critically short MOS
3) Have at least 15 years of service

There has been exceptions to these standards but if you have at least one of the three you're good. You go through the medboard process as you normally would. You get a narrative summary written out by the lead Doc on your case which is what initiates your medboard. The NARSUM list's everything that is wrong with you. Under the new DES system it gets pushed over to the VA IOT make appointments at the local VA facility. The VA Docs evaluate and document all of your problems and after that they push it to the PEBLO (Physical Evaluation Board Liaison Officer). While that's going on you go out and find the highest ranking people in your chain of command and get letters of recommendation to submit along with your COAD packet. Once you have that you give it to the PEBLO and he pushes it all to the MEB (Medical Evaluation Board. From that point, barring any severe cognitive issues, it freezes the process and allows you to continue along your merry way.

We've had well over 200 people in SOF do COAD packets in the last 5 years and only 3 have been denied. The ones that were denied were guys with cognitive issues. Also, IOT COAD you must be able to perform a full days worth of work with minimal assistance (that is variable by Command).

Now with all that being said, Ivan and many others are going to have to do the medboard ALL OVER again when they retire. I understand why they do it but its still a pain in the ass. Since he'll be at 20 or over his retirement is good and won't be affected. It's for guys that are under 20 is where it gets squirrely. Under current law guys who are medically retired with less than 20 get CRSC plus VA disability. CRSC is a confusing system. It's original intent was to give concurrent receipt but got lost in translation on the way to Capitol Hill. Just like disability under 100% there is no rhyme or reason to how much you get.

Now there is a proposal in front of Congress right now to give Chapter 61 retirees, medically retired, individuals both but its probably going to die in debate. For one it's attached to a bunch of other PORK and left wing liberal proposals and secondly if it did pass it would only be in affect for two years. After that Congress would have to re-authorize it or let it die and let roughly 5000 veterans take a big cut in benefits.

The CPT is still going strong
 

I just came across this article in Runner's World and read about CPT Castro... Amazing!!!

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/...3736-0,00.html
:lifter

H
 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3096434/...14724#43114724
Go Ivan go!!

I am proud to have worked and served with Ivan back in 3/7th SFG (A). He is a great guy and it is always a good feeling to see someone who is well deserved get promoted. :D

"I will never quit"
 

I had the honor to run as his guide for a half-marathon earlier this year. He is an incredible man.