Iván Castro

Ivan Castro
Captain Ivan Castro
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1988-present
Rank	- Captain
Unit	Special Operations Recruiting Battalion (SORB) - Assistant Operations Officer
Battles/wars	Operations Desert Storm/Shield Operation Iraqi Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Joint Forge Campaigns in Kosovo and Albania
Awards	Purple Heart Meritorious Service Medal Army Commendation Medal

Captain Ivan Castro (born August 11, 1967) is a U.S. Army officer who has continued serving on active duty in the Special Forces despite losing his eyesight.

He is one of three blind active duty officers who serves in the U.S. Army and the only blind officer serving in the United States Army Special Forces.

On September 2, 2006, Castro (then a First Lieutenant) was providing sniper support during a battle with insurgents in Iraq when a mortar round exploded close to him leaving him severely injured.

Castro recovered despite the fact that his doctors believed that he would die as a result of his wounds. He continued in the military and, as an advocate of rehabilitation funding for the blind, has participated in various races and marathons as a contestant.

Early years and personal life

Castro was born in Hoboken, New Jersey to parents who were originally from Puerto Rico. In 1980, when he was 12 years old, he moved to Puerto Rico with his mother; his parents had divorced when he was five years old. After Castro graduated from high school, he was accepted by the University of Puerto Rico on an athletic scholarship. During his student years he represented his alma mater in track and field competitions. However, he had lost interest in college by his senior year and enlisted in the United States Army in 1990. Castro was married the same year that he enlisted and the couple had one child, Ivan Eduardo, in 1993, before divorcing in 1997. In 1999, Castro's mother died and after her funeral, he went to the Dominican Republic to regroup his thoughts. During that visit, he met Evelyn Galvis, a native of Queens, New York City who was on vacation. The couple were married in 2001, 18 months after they met.

Military career

Castro went to Ranger school after he completed his basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia, becoming a U.S. Army Ranger in 1992. Later he completed a grueling year-long course of Special Forces training and earned his "Green Beret". Castro's MOS was Special Forces Weapons Sergeant. Castro went to night school to complete a B.A. degree, before attending the Army's Officers Candidate School. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in February 2004, becoming an infantry officer. In the infantry, he was responsible for a scout reconnaissance and sniper platoon in the 82nd Airborne Division. In 2005, he deployed to Afghanistan for the elections.

Deployment to Iraq

By the time he was sent to Iraq, Castro was already an experienced combat veteran. He was deployed almost immediately as an infantryman in the Gulf War during Operation Desert Storm and had also served in the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s. He had participated in Operation Desert Shield, missions in South America, and a tour in Afghanistan. In 2006, Castro was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, which was in combat in Iraq at the time.

In September 2006, Castro and his men had relieved other paratroopers atop a house in the town of Yusifiyah, some 20 miles southwest of Baghdad, after a night of fighting. As an officer, Castro was not required to personally provide fire support to fellow soldiers in the exposed housetop position. Nonetheless, he volunteered for the mission and was accompanied by Sergeant Ralph Porras and Private First Class Justin Dreese. A mortar round landed a few feet away from him, killing Sergeant Porras and PFC Dreese and severely wounding Castro. Shrapnel tore through his body, damaging a shoulder, breaking an arm, fracturing facial bones and collapsing his lungs. The blast also drove the frame of his protective eyewear into his face.

Castro was sent to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. The top half of his right index finger was ripped off and the doctors had to amputate the remaining part of the finger. His right eye was blown out and he had a metal fragment in his left eye. The extent of his injuries was such that doctors doubted whether Castro would survive the week. When Castro regained consciousness days later, his wife, Evelyn, was at his bedside. She told him his right eye was gone, but doctors hoped to salvage the vision in his left. The surgeons later removed one last piece of shrapnel from that eye. When they took off his bandages they flashed a light for Castro to see; however, when he did not respond to the light, he was told that he would never see again. Castro remained in the hospital for two months after his injury, with no idea of what he would do next. He then overheard a doctor and a nurse discussing the next Army Ten-Miler and the Marine Corps Marathon. He asked his doctor if the course was flat or hilly. He then made the running of both races his goal. His wife, Evelyn, gave up her career as a bilingual speech-language pathologist in Fayetteville, North Carolina, to help her husband. She supervises his medical care and acts as his driver.

Recovery

Castro spent 17 months in recovery before seeking a permanent assignment in the Army's Special Operations Command, at the 7th Special Forces Group's headquarters company in Fort Bragg. Through convalescence and rehabilitation, Castro struggled to regain a measure of independence and regularly worked out – running and in the gym.

New assignment

Before being appointed executive officer of the 7th Special Forces Group's headquarters company, he spent a weekend familiarizing himself with the group area where he was going to work by walking around and measuring the steps from his car to his office. He is quoted in the media as saying:

"I am going to push the limits," "I don't want to go to Fort Bragg and show up and sit in an office. I want to work every day and have a mission." "I want to be treated the same way as other officers," Castro said. "I don't want them to take pity over me or give me something I've not earned."

Upon his appointment, Castro became the only blind officer serving in the Special Forces and one of three blind officers who serve in the active-duty Army, though his managerial tasks are not directly involved with combat. In February 2008, Castro was promoted to the rank of captain. He is currently the executive officer of the 7th Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg and hopes to stay in the military. He is looking forward to taking and graduating from the Army's officer advanced course, which teaches captains how to lead troops and plan operations.

On December 15, 2009, Castro graduated from the Maneuver Captains Career Course at Fort Benning, Georgia. He is to report to his new assignment as operations officer in Special Forces Recruiting Battalion at Fort Bragg, N.C.

Awards and decorations

Among CPT Castro's military decorations are the following

•   Purple Heart
•   Army Commendation Medal
•   Meritorious Service Medal
•   Air Medal
•   Joint Services Commendation Medal
•   National Defense Service Medal
•   Army Service Ribbon
•   Army Overseas Service Ribbon
•   Afghanistan Campaign Medal
•   Iraq Campaign Medal
•   Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
•   Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
•   Presidential Unit Citation
•   Meritorious Unit Commendation

Badges

•   Combat Infantryman Badge
•   Parachutist badge
•   Military Freefall Parachutist Badge
•   Pathfinder Badge

Tabs

•   Special Forces Tab
•   Ranger Tab
• Army Special Forces

Athletic endeavors

Capt. Ivan Castro (#471) guided by Major Phil Young (#70321) runs the Army Ten-Miler.

Castro has remained active as an athlete. At Bragg he trained with Major Phil Young, who was his team leader in the Special Forces, and has participated in several long distance road races, often being enthusiastically greeted by the audiences for his determination.

Among the notable races and marathons in which Castro has participated, with a guide, as a member of the "Missing Parts In Action" team in 2007, are the Army Ten-Miler and the Marine Corps Marathon. In 2008, he participated in the Bataan Memorial Death March Marathon in New Mexico, the Boston Marathon and the U.S. Air Force Marathon.

In 2008, Castro and his wife Evelyn, as members and participants in Operation Peer Support, participated in the Blinded Veterans Association's 62nd National Convention.

In June 2009, Castro participated in the Midnight Boogie 50 mile ultramarathon.

Community service

Castro is an advocate of rehabilitation funding for the blind, visiting members of Congress in his quest. He was honored during a visit to the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia with a plaque engraved in braille, which thanked him for his continued service.

See also

• List of Puerto Ricans
• List of Puerto Rican military personnel
• Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2)