One step at a time: Airman recovering after crash

  • Published
  • By Capt. Lauren Johnson
  • 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. (AFNS) --  Staff Sgt. Chris Curtis wanted nothing more than to walk through the doors to the 8th Special Operations Squadron building.

His friends and colleagues cheered him on as he accomplished that goal Oct. 8; a feat that just a few months ago seemed nearly impossible.

Sergeant Curtis was a flight engineer on an 8th SOS CV-22 Osprey that crashed in Zabul province, Afghanistan April 8, leaving him with significant blood loss and multiple fractures to his back, face, legs, left arm and pelvis.

Throughout the treatment and rehabilitation that followed, the hope to walk through the doors of his squadron on his own accord again has been a driving force in his recovery.

"In my second or third week in (the surgical intensive care unit) I told my dad my ultimate goal was to get back to Hurlburt Field and walk through my squadron," Sergeant Curtis said.

The road to that milestone may have been shorter than many expected -- six months to the day of the crash -- but it hasn't been easy.

After the crash, Sergeant Curtis was airlifted out of theater and ultimately transferred to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., where he spent nearly two weeks in intensive care before he remembers waking up to his parents at his bedside.

"I remember seeing my mom and my dad standing there," he said. "It was a weird moment. I knew something wasn't right."

He was breathing through a ventilator and couldn't eat or move from his bed. For several weeks he hardly slept, kept awake by pain and fever.

Longtime friend and fellow Airman, Tech. Sgt. Vincent DePersio, from the 1st Special Operations Support Squadron, stayed at the hospital to support Sergeant Curtis and his family for the first month of treatment and bared witness to his friend's struggle.

"There wasn't much that wasn't broken in his body," Sergeant DePersio said. "You battle that plus fever and infection, and that's a lot for the body to handle."

Sergeant Curtis underwent 14 surgeries to treat his injuries. His legs and left arm bear dark scars from skin grafts and the insertion of pins and plates to rebuild his battered limbs.

Once he was stable, he began rehabilitation. Physical and occupational therapists led him in stretches to improve mobility and work his atrophied muscles. The pain, he said, was excruciating, and trying to grasp the situation stretched his mental fortitude.

"It was tough," Sergeant Curtis said. "But at the same time you realize, I still have both my legs. I work out with guys every day who are missing a leg or an arm. I'm very fortunate, but it's still a fight to get better every day."

But, Sergeant Curtis added, patients are never alone in that fight. He credits the community of wounded warriors -- along with his family, friends and squadron -- for providing support and encouragement throughout the recovery process.

"You look them in the face and you have an instant camaraderie," he said of his fellow patients. "We band together when a guy's had a bad day. You help each other out as much as you can."

One particular patient who inspired Sergeant Curtis is his new friend, and fellow wounded warrior, Sen. Bob Dole.

Senator Dole arrived at WRMC in July to recover from knee replacement surgery, and he and Sergeant Curtis were assigned as physical therapy partners, working together on exercises, motivating each other and swapping battle stories.

Sergeant Curtis said he and the senator, who was severely injured in World War II, bonded quickly.

"He knew and supported me in the right ways, and I supported him back," Sergeant Curtis said. "It was a good rivalry of who's getting better first."

The "rivals" have kept in touch and continue to encourage each other, though Sergeant Curtis was recently transferred to the Center for the Intrepid, an advanced military rehabilitation facility at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio.

The Center for the Intrepid staff members will see Sergeant Curtis through the remainder of his treatment , hopefully to a full recovery, which is proving to be a fulltime job. At the Center for the Intrepid, Sergeant Curtis spends four to five hours a day in physical therapy.

"I count little victories every day," Sergeant Curtis said. "Whether it's just getting up; the other day it was opening a door, doing not one but two laps on the track. It doesn't have to be something amazing."

Sergeant Curtis admits it felt amazing to be back home at his squadron. As evidenced by the support and encouragement at his homecoming, his friends and colleagues are impressed by his progress.

"We told him, 'take baby steps,' and next thing you know he's taking leaps and bounds!" Sergeant DePersio said. "I really didn't think he'd be walking for a year."

Lt. Col. Shawn Cameron, the 8th SOS commander, has been monitoring his Airman's recuperation closely and was one of the first to shake his hand at the squadron.

"Sergeant Curtis' recovery is truly amazing," Colonel Cameron said. "His attitude and focus on his recovery have been unwavering, and there is no doubt in my mind that he's going to make a full recovery."

When he returns to the Center for the Intrepid, Sergeant Curtis will focus on increasing his walking endurance and improving mobility in his left arm.

Throughout his treatment so far, one vision has remained at the forefront of Sergeant Curtis' mind, keeping him motivated through the long hours, pain and frustration. With his first goal accomplished and only three surgeries remaining, Sergeant Curtis is looking, optimistically, toward the future.

"My next goal is getting back in the aircraft," he said. "It's amazing what the human body can take and how it can come back together. I have to keep working and keep getting better."