Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
4:10 | It was Michael Trevino's birthday when he traveled home from his first Afghanistan deployment. He was on crutches but that didn't stop the company's birthday tradition that left him with a little red skin. His parents came to North Carolina to see him and they treated all his friends to a night on the town and then some.
Keywords : Michael Trevino Afghanistan crutches Fayetteville NC Gabriel Gabe Guzman Sean Higgins Texas Andrew Samuelson Dan Myers Colin Colquhoun David Barocio John Brusa Hank Derenoff Jasdeep Singh Jesse Walburn
He had signed up for Army ROTC but, when Michel Trevino got to college, he became distracted and was not doing well. The Army suggested he could go on active duty and he was fine with that. The rigors of Fort Benning didn't faze him a bit.
It was a miserable winter in Waza Khwa. It was cold, there was deep snow and the menu was limited. Michael Trevino toughed it out and, just thirty days from shipping back to the States, the Humvee he traveling in was hit with a devastating IED planted by the Taliban.
Michael Trevino was selected for Special Forces but, after an injury, he was sent to the 82nd Airborne. He got a lot of grief from everyone because he was the only new guy. He joined them in Afghanistan near the border with Pakistan.
Michael Trevino gives a shout out to his buddies in 3-Charlie, especially two NCO's who stood out and showed him the ropes. First, this is a tribe and we are now your family.
On his second deployment to Afghanistan, Michael Trevino's platoon was sent to provide security for a body recovery operation at a remote river. The troops were lured into an ambush and that began an epic three day running firefight.
Michael Trevino was green when an NCO by the name of James Nolen schooled him on the M240 machine gun. He had a memorable leadership style and was a very upbeat guy, which made his death all the more devastating to the men of 3-Charlie.
When his unit moved to the Arghandab River Valley, Michael Trevino was made the RTO at headquarters company. This required a fast and steep learning curve but he mastered the task and was responsible for all Medevacs. A little bit of subterfuge on his part cut the response time for the choppers.
As soon as his second Afghanistan deployment was over, Michael Trevino shipped out for Germany. It was only a few months before he had to return to Afghanistan and close down bases in RC East. When he really got home, the effects of what he had seen began to become apparent.
He was never so mad in his life. Michael Trevino opines on the US exit from Afghanistan, something he takes as a personal affront. Reunions of his unit help to work off steam and share the weight with his brothers. (Caution: strong language)
