[Basenshukai]

I met Charlie early in 2001 when we both reported for the Infantry Captain's Career Course (ICCC) in Fort Benning, GA. We were both due to enter the SF Pipeline around the same time so it was natural that we both hit it off right away. Charlie struck me as a professional and dedicated infantry officer. Yet, the one thing I liked about Charlie the most was his sense of humor and his aggressiveness.

He had been raised in South America. If memory serves, at least one of his parents worked in one of the US Embassies there for some time. His Spanish was better than most native Latinos I know. Charlie and I also attended the Combined Arms and Services Staff School during the same course, which was pretty neat since we got along great. I felt that we thought about the same way. To be honest I looked up to Charlie because his professionalism was so constant and unwavering. He was one of those rare people that meant what they said and said what they meant.

During the SF Pipeline, Charlie and I paralleled the whole time. More significantly, we got thrown together in the same small group during the MOS phase. Upon graduation, Charlie and I were very excited to join 7th Group. He had wanted to join the unit for a long time. At first, he was intent on going to 3rd Bn, where I was going. However, he met the 1st Bn leadership shortly after the beret donning ceremony and was obviously impressed by them. He went off to 1st Bn instead. Occasionally, I would bump into him and he'd tell me about how bad he wanted to be a team leader as he was, at the time, in the battalion staff. He finally got his wish and deployed to combat with his boys – the dream of every SF detachment commander.

When I first heard that a guy named Robinson died, I hoped to heaven that it was not Charlie. When I found out, it hit me hard. He will be the second friend from the unit I will bury in less than six months. I will miss him.