[nfbwatlk] Fwd: [Wcb-l] Blind Soldier
Alco Canfield
amcanfield at comcast.net
Tue Nov 16 05:24:02 UTC 2010
ALCO
Begin forwarded message:
> From: "Carl Jarvis" <carjar82 at gmail.com>
> Date: November 15, 2010 8:28:43 PM PST
> To: "Marlaina Lieberg" <1guidedog at gmail.com>, "wcb" <wcb-l at wcbinfo.org>, "SKB" <skb-l at wcbinfo.org>
> Subject: [Wcb-l] Blind Soldier
>
> Thanks Marlaina,
> A strong, positive story. Plenty of jobs for blind folks in the Military.
> Carl Jarvis
>
>
> Blind soldier from Pasco finds niche in military
> MICHAEL HILL ASSOCIATED PRESS
> WEST POINT, N.Y. -- Since a car bomb blinded Capt. Scott Smiley in Iraq,
> he has skied Vail, climbed Mount Rainier, earned his MBA, raised two
> young boys with his wife, won an Espy award and pulled himself up from
> faith-shaking depths.
> Smiley, 30, has snagged attention for his big accomplishments. But the
> daily ones are telling too, including the recent tour he gave of his
> staff's offices at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he was
> scheduled to attend President Obama's address of the Class of 10 on
> Saturday.
> Unable to see the path around the workers' cubicles, Smiley stepped
> forward with a joke to the camouflage-clad officers he was showing
> around: "I walk around, and when I hit things, I move," he said.
> An aide trailing him said softly, "Turn right, sir," at a doorway.
> Smiley turned.
> Smiley, of Pasco, is one of only a handful of soldiers who chose to
> remain on active duty after being blinded by fighting in Iraq and
> Afghanistan, a practice that's rare but one that military officials say
> benefits both parties.
> Though unable to return to his old infantry duties in Iraq, Smiley has
> thrived in stateside postings such as his latest at West Point, from
> which he graduated in 03. He now commands the Warrior Transition Unit
> at West Point for ailing or wounded soldiers.
> Voice software allows Smiley to listen to e-mails, books and pamphlets.
> Aides help him navigate and tell him what order he's signing. It's a
> little like changing his son's diapers at home: He's fine as long as he
> knows where everything is.
> His resiliency and energy helped him earn the 07 Soldier of the Year
> commendation from the publication Army Times, as well as an ESPN Espy
> award in 08 for best outdoor athlete.
> He earned his master's of business administration at Duke University and
> has spoken to the Olympic and Duke teams coached by Mike Krzyzewski, a
> fellow West Point alum. He has a memoir coming out this year titled,
> Hope Unseen.
> Smiley said he's not trying to prove anything with his exploits.
> "In terms of getting an MBA, climbing Mount Rainier, it's what I always
> wanted to do," he said. "Why should I stop that?"
> Smiley was injured April 6, 05, six months into a deployment to Iraq.
> He led patrols through Mosul, a dangerous city where a too-high pile of
> garbage could be hiding explosives and the enemy blended in with the
> populace.
> Sgt. 1st Class Mike Branham, who served as a squad leader under Smiley,
> said his fellow serviceman was a topflight officer, one who stood out
> for his deep Christian faith and detailed knowledge of his soldiers.
> "He knew their names, he knew their wives' names, he knew their likes
> and dislikes," Branham said.
> Smiley was leading a patrol in an armored Stryker vehicle when, from his
> perch in the forward hatch, he spotted a silver Opel that matched
> intelligence descriptions of a potential car bomb. The trunk appeared to
> be weighed down and the driver acted as though he didn't understand
> Smiley, who fired warning shots at the ground when it looked as if the
> driver was going to pull forward.
> The driver raised his hands, and the car went up in a fireball.
> Shrapnel tore through Smiley's left eye and lodged in his frontal brain
> lobe; another fragment the size of a pencil lead pierced his right eye.
> Slumped unconscious in the Stryker hatch, Smiley was rushed to a medical
> center, where he briefly flatlined as friends prayed at his bedside.
> Branham recalls, "I didn't think he was going to make it past that day
> at all."
> He was left permanently blinded and temporarily paralyzed on his right
> side.
> Stabilized and shipped stateside, Smiley struggled with his fate. He had
> vowed at his wedding to take care of his wife, Tiffany, and there she
> was, taking care of him. The exertion of wiggling his big toe required a
> three-hour nap.
> He received his Purple Heart on his hospital bed. A video posted on
> YouTube of the ceremony shows his brother Neal struggling to maintain
> composure as he reads the citation. Smiley, looking beaten and
> uncomfortable in his bed, turns his head away.
> "When I got to the hospital and I finally realized what happened, what
> my life was going to be like, I didn't believe in God. I questioned my
> faith. I questioned everything that was ever said to me before," Smiley
> said. "Because in my mind, why would God allow something like this to
> happen to me?"
> Smiley credits his wife, family and faith for helping him accept his
> condition. Ultimately, he decided he didn't want to be like the Lt. Dan
> character played by Gary Sinise in Forrest Gump, the officer who wants
> to be left to die when he loses his legs in Vietnam. He would push on.
> And if his path kept him in the Army, that was fine.
> "I was totally prepared to get out," he said. "But still in the back of
> my mind, it was: 'I still have so much to give. I love serving my
> country."'
> The Army says at least four other totally or partially blind soldiers
> have remained on active duty since Iraq and Afghanistan.
> Capt. Ivan Castro lost his sight and suffered other serious injuries in
> a 06 mortar attack in Iraq and is now stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C.,
> with the Special Operations Recruiting Battalion. Castro, a 42-year-old
> who runs mara-thons and 50-mile races, appears to share some personality
> traits with Smiley -- and says he also felt he still had something to
> serve after being injured.
> "I've been doing this for over 18 years," Castro, who was born in
> Hoboken, N.J., and grew up in Puerto Rico, said in a phone interview.
> "This is all I know. This is what I love. This is what I live for."
> Castro's commander, Lt. Col. Fredrick Dummar, said the continued service
> by blind soldiers fits with the military philosophy that everyone has
> unique abilities and that "there's always somebody on the team that can
> accomplish a mission."
> Smiley was at first posted at Accessions Command, which oversees
> recruiting, and later earned his MBA. He returned to West Point last
> year to teach and took command this year of the Warrior Transition Unit
> here this year. He lives on post with Tiffany and their two young boys.
> After the West Point graduation ceremony Saturday, he plans to pin
> lieutenant bars on one of the roughly 1,000 cadets who will become new
> Army officers.
> Smiley conceded that he might have a better understanding of the ailing
> soldiers under his command but is quick to add that his overriding
> concern is maintaining Army standards -- for his soldiers and for
> himself.
>
>
> 09
>
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>
> <P DIR3DLTR><B><FONT SIZE3D6 FACE3D"Arial">Blind soldier from Pasco
> finds niche in military </FONT></B></P>
>
> <P DIR3DLTR><B><FONT SIZE3D2 FACE3D"Arial">MICHAEL HILL ASSOCIATED
> PRESS </FONT></B></P>
>
> <P DIR3DLTR><FONT SIZE3D2 FACE3D"Arial">WEST POINT, N.Y. -- Since a
> car bomb blinded Capt. Scott Smiley in Iraq, he has skied Vail, climbed
> Mount Rainier, earned his MBA, raised two young boys with his wife, won
> an Espy award and pulled himself up from faith-shaking
> depths.</FONT></P>
>
> <P DIR3DLTR><FONT SIZE3D2 FACE3D"Arial">Smiley, 30, has snagged
> attention for his big accomplishments. But the daily ones are telling
> too, including the recent tour he gave of his staff's offices at the
> U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he was scheduled to attend
> President Obama's address of the Class of 10 on Saturday.</FONT></P>
>
> <P DIR3DLTR><FONT SIZE3D2 FACE3D"Arial">Unable to see the path around
> the workers' cubicles, Smiley stepped forward with a joke to the
> camouflage-clad officers he was showing around: "I walk around, and
> when I hit things, I move," he said. </FONT></P>
>
> <P DIR3DLTR><FONT SIZE3D2 FACE3D"Arial">An aide trailing him said
> softly, "Turn right, sir," at a doorway. Smiley
> turned.</FONT></P>
>
> <P DIR3DLTR><FONT SIZE3D2 FACE3D"Arial">Smiley, of Pasco, is one of
> only a handful of soldiers who chose to remain on active duty after
> being blinded by fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, a practice that's
> rare but one that military officials say benefits both
> parties.</FONT></P>
>
> <P DIR3DLTR><FONT SIZE3D2 FACE3D"Arial">Though unable to return to
> his old infantry duties in Iraq, Smiley has thrived in stateside
> postings such as his latest at West Point, from which he graduated in
> 03. He now commands the Warrior Transition Unit at West Point for
> ailing or wounded soldiers.</FONT></P>
>
> <P DIR3DLTR><FONT SIZE3D2 FACE3D"Arial">Voice software allows Smiley
> to listen to e-mails, books and pamphlets. Aides help him navigate and
> tell him what order he's signing. It's a little like changing his son's
> diapers at home: He's fine as long as he knows where everything
> is.</FONT></P>
>
> <P DIR3DLTR><FONT SIZE3D2 FACE3D"Arial">His resiliency and energy
> helped him earn the 07 Soldier of the Year commendation from the
> publication Army Times, as well as an ESPN Espy award in 08 for best
> outdoor athlete.</FONT></P>
>
> <P DIR3DLTR><FONT SIZE3D2 FACE3D"Arial">He earned his master's of
> business administration at Duke University and has spoken to the Olympic
> and Duke teams coached by Mike Krzyzewski, a fellow West Point alum. He
> has a memoir coming out this year titled, Hope Unseen.</FONT></P>
>
> <P DIR3DLTR><FONT SIZE3D2 FACE3D"Arial">Smiley said he's not trying
> to prove anything with his exploits.</FONT></P>
>
> <P DIR3DLTR><FONT SIZE3D2 FACE3D"Arial">"In terms of getting an
> MBA, climbing Mount Rainier, it's what I always wanted to do," he
> said. "Why should I stop that?"</FONT></P>
>
> <P DIR3DLTR><FONT SIZE3D2 FACE3D"Arial">Smiley was injured April 6,
> 05, six months into a deployment to Iraq. He led patrols through
> Mosul, a dangerous city where a too-high pile of garbage could be hiding
> explosives and the enemy blended in with the populace.</FONT></P>
>
> <P DIR3DLTR><FONT SIZE3D2 FACE3D"Arial">Sgt. 1st Class Mike Branham,
> who served as a squad leader under Smiley, said his fellow serviceman
> was a topflight officer, one who stood out for his deep Christian faith
> and detailed knowledge of his soldiers.</FONT></P>
>
> <P DIR3DLTR><FONT SIZE3D2 FACE3D"Arial">"He knew their names, he
> knew their wives' names, he knew their likes and dislikes," Branham
> said.</FONT></P>
>
> <P DIR3DLTR><FONT SIZE3D2 FACE3D"Arial">Smiley was leading a patrol
> in an armored Stryker vehicle when, from his perch in the forward hatch,
> he spotted a silver Opel that matched intelligence descriptions of a
> potential car bomb. The trunk appeared to be weighed down and the driver
> acted as though he didn't understand Smiley, who fired warning shots at
> the ground when it looked as if the driver was going to pull
> forward.</FONT></P>
>
> <P DIR3DLTR><FONT SIZE3D2 FACE3D"Arial">The driver raised his hands,
> and the car went up in a fireball.</FONT></P>
>
> <P DIR3DLTR><FONT SIZE3D2 FACE3D"Arial">Shrapnel tore through
> Smiley's left eye and lodged in his frontal brain lobe; another fragment
> the size of a pencil lead pierced his right eye.</FONT></P>
>
> <P DIR3DLTR><FONT SIZE3D2 FACE3D"Arial">Slumped unconscious in the
> Stryker hatch, Smiley was rushed to a medical center, where he briefly
> flatlined as friends prayed at his bedside.</FONT></P>
>
> <P DIR3DLTR><FONT SIZE3D2 FACE3D"Arial">Branham recalls, "I
> didn't think he was going to make it past that day at
> all."</FONT></P>
>
> <P DIR3DLTR><FONT SIZE3D2 FACE3D"Arial">He was left permanently
> blinded and temporarily paralyzed on his right side.</FONT></P>
>
> <P DIR3DLTR><FONT SIZE3D2 FACE3D"Arial">Stabilized and shipped
> stateside, Smiley struggled with his fate. He had vowed at his wedding
> to take care of his wife, Tiffany, and there she was, taking care of
> him. The exertion of wiggling his big toe required a three-hour
> nap.</FONT></P>
>
> <P DIR3DLTR><FONT SIZE3D2 FACE3D"Arial">He received his Purple Heart
> on his hospital bed. A video posted on YouTube of the ceremony shows his
> brother Neal struggling to maintain composure as he reads the citation.
> Smiley, looking beaten and uncomfortable in his bed, turns his head
> away.</FONT></P>
>
> <P DIR3DLTR><FONT SIZE3D2 FACE3D"Arial">"When I got to the
> hospital and I finally realized what happened, what my life was going to
> be like, I didn't believe in God. I questioned my faith. I questioned
> everything that was ever said to me before," Smiley said.
> "Because in my mind, why would God allow something like this to
> happen to me?"</FONT></P>
>
> <P DIR3DLTR><FONT SIZE3D2 FACE3D"Arial">Smiley credits his wife,
> family and faith for helping him accept his condition. Ultimately, he
> decided he didn't want to be like the Lt. Dan character played by Gary
> Sinise in Forrest Gump, the officer who wants to be left to die when he
> loses his legs in Vietnam. He would push on. And if his path kept him in
> the Army, that was fine.</FONT></P>
>
> <P DIR3DLTR><FONT SIZE3D2 FACE3D"Arial">"I was totally prepared
> to get out," he said. "But still in the back of my mind, it
> was: 'I still have so much to give. I love serving my
> country."'</FONT></P>
>
> <P DIR3DLTR><FONT SIZE3D2 FACE3D"Arial">The Army says at least four
> other totally or partially blind soldiers have remained on active duty
> since Iraq and Afghanistan.</FONT></P>
>
> <P DIR3DLTR><FONT SIZE3D2 FACE3D"Arial">Capt. Ivan Castro lost his
> sight and suffered other serious injuries in a 06 mortar attack in
> Iraq and is now stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C., with the Special
> Operations Recruiting Battalion. Castro, a 42-year-old who runs
> mara-thons and 50-mile races, appears to share some personality traits
> with Smiley -- and says he also felt he still had something to serve
> after being injured.</FONT></P>
>
> <P DIR3DLTR><FONT SIZE3D2 FACE3D"Arial">"I've been doing this
> for over 18 years," Castro, who was born in Hoboken, N.J., and grew
> up in Puerto Rico, said in a phone interview. "This is all I know.
> This is what I love. This is what I live for."</FONT></P>
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