Iván Castro

Ivan Castro
File:CPT Ivan Castro.jpg Captain Ivan Castro The only blind officer serving in the Special Forces
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1990-present
Rank	Captain
Unit	82nd Airborne Division, platoon leader 7th Special Forces Group, XO
Battles/wars	Operation Desert Storm Operation Desert Shield Operation Iraqi Freedom
Awards	Purple Heart

Captain Ivan Castro (born in 1968) is the only blind officer serving in the United States Army Special Forces. Castro (then a First Lieutenant) was providing support by fire during a battle with insurgents in Iraq when a mortar round exploded close to him leaving him totally blind.

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 is the only blind officer serving in the Special Forces and one of three blind officers who serve in the active-duty Army. Castro, who is an advocate of rehabilitation funding for the blind, is also a marathon runner.

Early years; personal

Castro was born in the town of Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico. His family moved to Hoboken, New Jersey when he was a child and there he received his primary education. In 1980, when he was 12 years old, he moved back to Puerto Rico with his mother after she was divorced.

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. In 1990, Castro had lost interest in college in his senior year and enlisted in the United States Army.

He married in 1990, he and his wife had one child, Ivan Eduardo, in 1993, before they divorced in 1997. In 1999, Castro's mother died and after her funeral, he went to the Dominican Republic to regroup his thoughts. During his visit there Castro met Evelyn Galvis. Glavis was raised in Queens, New York City and happened to be on vacation. They 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 finish his B.A. and 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

File:Lt. Ivan Ccastro3.jpg

1st Lt. Ivan Castro

Before being 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 later served in the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s. He also participated in Operation Desert Shield and in missions in South America, as well as a tour in Afghanistan.

In 2006, Castro was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division which is one of the United States military units in Iraq.

In September 2006, Castro and his men had relieved other paratroopers atop a house in Yusifiyah, Iraq, some 20 miles southwest of Baghdad, after a night of fighting. As an officer Castro did not have to be up there providing fire support to fellow soldiers. However, 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. Doctors questioned whether Castro would make it through another 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 Castro did not respond to the light he was told that he would never see again.

Castro was lying in a hospital bed for two months after he was injured, with no idea of what he was going to do. 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 pathologist in Fayetteville, North Carolina, to help her husband. She supervises his medical care and drives him around.

Recovery

Castro, who has a prosthetic right eye, spent 17 months in recovery before seeking a permanent assignment in the service'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 runs and works out at the gym.

New assignment

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.

Awards and decorations

Among Castro's military decorations are the following: Template:Multicol

•   Purple Heart
•   Army Commendation Medal
•   Meritorious Service Medal
•   Air Medal
•   Joint Services Commendation Medal
•   Army 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

Template:Multicol-break Badges:

•   Combat Infantryman Badge
•   Parachutist badge

Tabs:

•   Special Forces Tab
•   Ranger Tab
• Army Special Forces

Athletic endeavors

Capt. Ivan Castro (#471) and Maj. Phil Young (#70321) run the Army Ten-Miler

Castro has remained active as an athlete, participating in several Marathon races within the US army as well as civilian races, often being enthusiastically greeted by the audiences for his determination..

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.

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 famous Puerto Ricans - Military
• Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2)