PETER HALEY/THE NEWS TRIBUNE
Lt. Damon Armeni works on a weekly situation report Thursday. On his desk is a picture of his wife, Kim. Armeni, 27, serves with the Army’s first Stryker brigade.
Posted on 01/27/2006 10:03:32 AM PST by Cannoneer No. 4
On Lt. Damon Armeni’s last trip to Iraq, they weren’t sure he’d survive the medical evacuation flight home. Shrapnel from a rocket-propelled grenade had ripped into his abdomen. He lost his spleen and sections of his colon and intestines.
He spent long stretches in the hospital to fight infection. Doctors broke four of his toes and fused the bones together to counter the nerve damage that was causing them to curl up like a claw.
And now he’s getting ready to go back to the war zone.
He wants to do it. Ever since he was a little kid, he’s dreamed of being an Army officer, a battalion commander.
“I have a hard time accepting that our enemies could stop me from achieving that,” the 27-year-old Tacoma native said in an interview at his home at Fort Lewis. “As long as my family is supporting me, I’m going to keep trying.”
Armeni is one of more than 250 soldiers from the Army’s first Stryker brigade – the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division from Fort Lewis – to be wounded during the brigade’s year in Iraq in 2003-04. The 4,000-soldier force is due to return for another year in June or July.
Few were hurt as badly as Armeni.
His wife, Kim, and his parents, Dan and Sharon Armeni, nursed him through the last time. Kim and Sharon flew out to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., to be there when the medevac flight got in from Germany. They hardly recognized him.
Kim faced the prospect of raising their son, Dalen, by herself. Now Dalen is 31/2, and he’s got a little sister, Brooke, born in November.
Kim and Damon met when they were students at Pacific Lutheran University. The first time they talked, he told her he was in the ROTC and was going to be a military man.
She remembers thinking that was too bad – it seemed he didn’t stand much of a chance with her.
But she managed to overcome her reluctance about dating a soldier.
“I signed on for this,” she said. “I married him knowing he’s a military guy.”
These days, the reaction is usually the same when old friends learn that Damon will be heading back to combat.
“People tell me I’m crazy for doing this again,” Kim said. “They say, ‘Are you serious?’ It’s hard to explain to people.
“It’s what we do. I’ve never had an issue about him going back. I’ve never had any doubt about him staying in. … It’s better to be married to someone who is happy in what they do.”
Sharon Armeni said she has been inspired by her daughter-in-law’s strength.
“I’ve realized through all this how much she really loves my son,” Sharon said. “That’s a great feeling.”
It will be worrisome enough when Damon goes back, she said.
But the Armenis’ other son, 23-year-old Bryce, is a Marine lance corporal also wounded in action, though not as seriously as Damon.
Bryce’s unit is due for a second tour. The brothers will likely be in the country at the same time – though not at the same location – for at least a couple of months.
“I don’t know if it’s worse having them both over there at the same time and getting it over with, or having Damon there and then seven months later, Bryce goes,” Sharon Armeni said.
“On the other hand, it’s a comfort knowing they’re close.”
Dan Armeni told his son he’d lived up to his obligations as a military officer, and that after what he’d been through, he’d have to answer to no one if decided he didn’t want face combat again.
“We had that conversation at Walter Reed,” said Dan, a retired Army officer and a Vietnam and Desert Storm veteran. “He was laying in that bed, 160 pounds, just skin and bones. That’s when he told me, ‘Dad, it’s just like driving a truck.’
“He said, ‘If I drove a truck off a cliff and survived, I’d probably go back to driving a truck again.’
“That seemed like a pretty good answer to me, and I’ve never broached the subject again,” Dan said.
Damon was recently promoted to captain and will pin on his new rank any day now. He is the executive officer in Crazyhorse Troop with 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment.
One of his bosses, the brigade’s operations officer Maj. Adam Rocke, said Damon Armeni’s recovery is remarkable, something that other soldiers look up to.
“His ability and motivation to overcome incredible odds is what sets Damon apart from others,” said Rocke, “and is why he will undoubtedly lead his soldiers with distinction during another year in Iraq.”
In the next few months, Damon says he and Kim will take a vacation in Hawaii. He says he’ll spend more time with his kids before he leaves this time.
But he won’t have second thoughts. Painful as his ordeal was, he loves his job. He believes he is good at it, and that his country needs him.
“I don’t want to see us fail,” he said. “But part of being successful, it seems to me, means staying there awhile.”
PETER HALEY/THE NEWS TRIBUNE
Lt. Damon Armeni works on a weekly situation report Thursday. On his desk is a picture of his wife, Kim. Armeni, 27, serves with the Army’s first Stryker brigade.
By all means allow him to stay in the service...keep him on the "promotion track"...but keep him in a non-combat zone.
And,for the record,I joined in '69 to avoid the draft.I prayed like hell not to be assigned to SE Asia...and my prayers were answered for some reason.
Salute, God-speed, and THANKS!
I took it from the article that he wants to go back. I don't believe he is being forced in any way. I could be wrong.
I wish I had even 1% of his courage and resolve, and I wish that at least 1% of this country had that much as well.
As long as there are men like him there will always be a United States.
Doing "more than his share" is very subjective. Here's a young man, by all accounts the type of man this country needs and is so fortunate to have, who has chosen to be a military officer in the service of his country. I cannot think of a more noble cause or profession than this young officer and his family have chosen.
It doesn't surprise me to hear that someone who "prayed like hell" to have someone else do his duty to this country in '69 has no clue what a real man would think or do.
I thank God for men like Cpt. Armeni and pray that he receive the just rewards due him for his sacrifices and that he enjoys a long and successful life with his wife and children in whatever he decides to do.
A friend went to see his nephew return from Iraq. This is an excerpt from the e-mail he sent me. I would appreciate comment.
It seems returning soldiers at Fort Benning are greeted with empty bunks
without sheets or pillows and have to buy their housing basics. A wife
of one soldier decided to raise some money to buy at least some basics
for each returning soldier, making their bed for them before they
arrive, like any decent motel would, I suppose.
I sat up for three nights until dawn listening to stories from a few of
the soldiers that stayed in our cabin. The beer supply suffered heavy
casualties, mostly from the soldiers. Guys 15, 20 years my junior can do
a better job opening bottles.
I got a closer view of the conditions in Iraq. One thing I didn't expect
was the resentment the soldiers felt toward the Bush administration. A
consistent point of contention was the lack of respect the soldiers felt
from their own government. (I guess I was naive.) I've heard plenty of
anti-war talk elsewhere. But this was quite different than listening to
a standard anti-Bush rant. The soldiers aren't exactly thrilled to see
their friends dying and getting wounded while the president, as they
say, ignores reality.
The soldiers were simply at a loss to justify why they had to put a
friend in a bag, and then another--and we're talking true friends.
Everyone at the table lost a friend in Iraq. None of the soldiers
complained about their own injuries. One NCO staying with us had been
injured twice, on two separate missions, with shrapnel through his lungs
and neck. The other was missing huge chunks of his back.
You understand as well as anyone the very close-knit world of a soldier
and the brotherhood that develops. Civilians just don't realize how it
works.
A "real man" also has an obligation to his wife and child. This guy has done his duty and could be of great assistance stateside. He should stay home and help raise the next generation of "real men".
Man. That is hardcore.
I heard the same thing. A friends son said at a welcome home party. They love their job but are wondering why they are there. They need to come home soon.
I wish there was some elaboration here. The grief of losing friends is obvious. But the claim that the President is "ignoring reality" requires some explaining in order to have impact.
Ah,excuse me...I *joined* in 1969.When I say I did it to avoid the draft,I mean that I assumed that I would probably have been called eventually because I didn't qualify for any deferments.When I joined,I was *not* being "pursued" by my draft board.And,while in BCT in Dec of '69,my draft lottery number came up *327*.So,in other words,if I hadn't joined,I almost certainly could have legally avoided service.No,I could never claim to have been a hero while serving as can the Lieutenant (and many others during this nation's history,but *don't you dare* imply that I'm some kind of coward!!!!!!!!!!
I agree.But the point I'm trying to make is that he's already given several parts of his internal organs in service to his country.To me,that means that he's been "in harm's way" long enough.
Must be something in the water at Ft. Benning. That sure isn't the attitude I see with the troops passing through Ft. Lewis.
Well put...far better than I did.
I tend to agree, there are indeed, different kinds of courage. Joining before being drafted to enter a role that you are best suited for is perfectly acceptable.
I know men who were raving heros one day, sniveling babies the next and back to the other the following. Everyone responds to stressful situations differently, and just because one performs well once does not mean one will do so again. Luck and opportunity do play a large role. I fault no one for not being on the front, logistically it is impossible for us all to be there and we aren't all wired for it.
Thanks for your service.
No,I think you're correct.That's one reason why I have so much respect for the Lieutenant.But I'm still in 100% agreement with post #10.
I can't disagree with that.
The LT gave a lot, and wants to continue to give. In WW II they took 'overly-experienced' bomber crews out of theater and let them do PR tours. Too bad it wouldn't work today - the Cindy Sheehans would picket every appearance.
When was the last time they did?
Western Civilization is fighting for its life, the Caucasian sub-species of homo sapiens is slowly going extinct due to lack of interest, World War IV is raging with American troops in the forefront, and the level of engagement by the average American civilian is pretty much zero outside of veterans, employees of the military industrial complex, and loved ones of service members.
Rome may have cause to tremble when the legions return from Mesopotamia.
Sound like things at Ft Lewis today are pretty much how they were at Ft Knox in late 1969.
ping
He was very positive about the mission in Iraq and had no doubts about President Bush.
I have very serious doubts about the validity of the person claiming they heard different at Ft. Benning.
BFL
ping
Yikes.
Good luck Lieutenant!
These days, the reaction is usually the same when old friends learn that Damon will be heading back to combat.“People tell me I’m crazy for doing this again,” Kim said. “They say, ‘Are you serious?’ It’s hard to explain to people.
Thanks for the ping!
The Lt, err Captain, looks pretty well recovered, but bowel injuries are for life. I've known several people who have had sections removed for 1 reason or another (usually cancer) and they never are quite right after that. Throw-in that he's going to be serving in a very hot climate where staying hydrated is a constant problem. Well, let's just say this is way beyond the Call.
Its his choice to return to combat. I guess he would know better than you how he feels about his service. I'm sure the thought crossed his mind about staying out of combat.
BUMP, dittos and PING!!!
I don't doubt the guy that told me this as he is the straightest arrow I have ever known. That different units have different experiences and opinions is possible. Much has to do with the leadership. I know a few Marines who expressed opinions similar to those in the letter, but they are admittedly modern liberals. Most other leathernecks I know are gung ho.
Perhaps your friend elected to associate with some of the exceptions because that is what they are...the exception.
have very serious doubts about the validity of the person claiming they heard different at Ft. Benning.
Believe it or not,Soldiers are people too!The only time I can recall that everybody was on the same thought was at Bob Hope Concerts.
Yes, they are people and as a whole they have a whole lot in common despite being in different units...but there are always exceptions.
Unless things have changed, the faster promotions go to those who are serving in combat.
" As long as there are men like him there will always be a United States."
God willing.
"Rome may have cause to tremble when the legions return from Mesopotamia."
I don't think so. George Washington taught us all too well, so we're not like the Romans.
"A "real man" also has an obligation to his wife and child. This guy has done his duty and could be of great assistance stateside. He should stay home and help raise the next generation of "real men"."
Everyone's different. This guy is, I suspect, doing what he was born to do.
To the young Captain - Good Fortune and Stay Safe. Train your men and give them what you know. Keep equipped and motivated.
CTM.
What a fantastic crop of senior officers our military will benefit from for decades to come!
A modern Liberal and a Marine - cognitive dissonance on two feet.
As a former soldier whose own daughter served 14 months in Iraq I'll see if I can shed some perspective on this.
First, units going to Iraq deploy as units, not individuals. When a unit deploys, it evacuates the barracks it occupies and turns all items such a bedding into the base supply system. Upon return they re-occupy, and must be re-issued items such as bedding, etc. This is the way it has always been, and always be. Wartime or peace. Deploying as a unit or as individuals. It's called life in the military. No brass bands or welcome wagons.
I got a closer view of the conditions in Iraq. One thing I didn't expect was the resentment the soldiers felt toward the Bush administration. A consistent point of contention was the lack of respect the soldiers felt from their own government. (I guess I was naive.) I've heard plenty of anti-war talk elsewhere. But this was quite different than listening to a standard anti-Bush rant. The soldiers aren't exactly thrilled to see their friends dying and getting wounded while the president, as they say, ignores reality.
This is a direct result of our media and propagandists like Micheal Moore. Soldiers in Iraq have plenty of time to read rags like Newsweak, watch news feeds from the major networks, and watch propaganda videos like moores. Many of these troops, with nothing more than a highschool education, far from home, miserable, and homesick are buying into the propaganda about the war and administration. When my daughter was there last year, she commented on the profound negative effect that Moore's Farenheit 9/11 had on troop morale. I did my best to counter this by sending her copies of conservative articles and opinion pieces (which she and those she was able to share them with ate up and passed around till they were unreadable.
One must also remember that it is the nature of troops in the field (or troops anywhere other than where they would rather be) to bitch and moan among themselves. For a true gauge of how the troops feel in general, look at the re-enlistment stats--they are at an all-time high (my daughter re-enlisted in October and didn't even receive a bonus for doing so, though she may have to go back to Iraq).
Finally, some of this feeling on the part of soldiers comes from the natural frustration of being constrained by political considerations when it comes to what they can and cannot do to protect themselves from, and respond to, terrorist attacks. It's hard to look at the big picture when you're friends are being killed.
That, anyway, is my take on it.
I chose not to be taken out of a combat role. The choice was mine to make, the Army made that quite clear.
Noble thought. It is interesting that you should make that comment given that I have heard it before. I suppose that either A) I am a poor husband and father, B) Incapable of surviving in the civilian work force, or C) Being a good father by showing my children that their Daddy won't give up and neither should they.
You pick.
Again, the Army gave me the choice. It was made only after long hard discussion with my wife.
I'm sorry that people question where I should be.
I once asked a Congresswoman who she would rather have leading her son or daughter, an officer who doesn't know the pain of being wounded, or one who does.
She didn't answer.
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