Sgt. Nick Bender - Barrington SonWounded In Afghanistan
Barrington Courier Review
June 17, 2010
By ROBERT ROSS Contributor
U.S. Army Sgt. Dominic Bender had no idea what his family and friends had planned for his return to the area Saturday after being nearly killed in Afghanistan two months ago.
He didn't know that he was to be driven in an orange corvette straight from O'Hare with a cavalcade of 32 motorcycles, three SUVs, two police cars and two fire trucks, sirens blazing. He had no idea the Illinois State Police closed I-90 for him, or that he would be greeted by his family and more than 200 cheering supporters at Wool Street Bar and Grill, 128 Wool St.
When he found out, all he could say was "oh my God."
Organized by Dirk Beveridge and Kim Pesavento with We Do Care, a support group for veterans and active service members, and Army veterans Wayne Kirkpatrick and Lee Murphy with Rolling Thunder, a motorcycle club active in veteran's affairs, the event included speeches and gifts for Bender and his family. The standing-room-only crowd included dozens of veterans and active duty servicemen, many of whom lined up to shake Bender's hand and share a drink. Balloons, posters, children and food crowded Wool Street's taproom for about an hour as Bender chatted before retreating to the porch to share a quiet meal with his family.
After finishing an undistinguished four years at Barrington High School, the 30-year-old spent two years working odd jobs, including a year as a tree-trimmer, before enlisting in the Army in 2000.
"I came out of high school kind of a punk, not much going for me" Bender said. "I went to the Army looking for a paycheck and a way to pay for college. I ended up becoming a patriot, and wanting to serve my country."
Bender used his military benefits to attend Harper College, where he held a 3.8 grade-point average studying psychology and literature and was a member of the honor society.
On Sept. 11, 2001, Bender was scheduled to return to active duty after attending his father's funeral when his flight was canceled, and he was given an additional week with his family as the military mobilized. He returned to the Army knowing he'd likely be deployed to the Middle East at some point, and spent the next eight years training for combat in Afghanistan.
Bender specifically joined the Vermont National Guard's 1/172 Calvary to be deployed Jan. 1, 2010 to a "tiny, little forward operating base" in Afghanistan which his unit shared with Polish troops.
"Boy, that was a sad drop off at O'Hare," Bender's sister Jennifer Redfern said. Housed in close quarters with troops that had different discipline and attitudes towards combat, Bender's unit engaged in regular skirmishes. "It was a really bad place," Bender said. "The Polish troops would say to me 'I wish I was in American military. Then I could shoot people.' We came under attack at least once a day, mostly by indirect fire, but sometimes mortars. And we went out in convoy often. We got ambushed a lot."
On the morning of April 15, Bender's unit was returning to base when their convoy was ambushed. "Intel had told us we'd be ambushed, but it didn't indicate a large ambush," Bender explained. "Usually, when you get ambushed, you hear a few pings from bullets fired at from long distance. You usually don't know where the fire is coming from, exactly, unless you happen to see a muzzle flash or dust. This time, though, they had RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades) within 100 meters of us and there were a bunch of them dug in." While Bender returned fire from his fighting vehicle, an grenade narrowly missed him, impacted on a nearby building, and spewed him with shrapnel. Bender blacked out for a moment, and then came to see a comrade taking his place at the turret as his convoy retreated to base.
Bender, who had a broken jaw, cracked skull and shrapnel lacerations, was evacuated to a larger base, and then to Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Had it not been for the eruption of EyjafjallajÃkull volcano in Iceland, Bender would have been moved to a hospital in Germany instead of Washington, and would not be home today. He spent two months recovering at Walter Reed, and flew home June 12.
Bender is still recovering from the injuries. He still has shrapnel lodged in his neck, and a scar on his left temple belies the damage to his skull. He regularly thinks about the men still fighting in Afghanistan. Looking to the future, Bender has a number of options and priorities. He first plans to complete his associate degree in arts, and another in sciences. Pending review of his medical status by the military, Bender hopes to pursue a master's degree while continuing to work for the Armed Forces. Above all else, he plans to spend Father's Day with his family and take his three sons camping next week.
Background Information:
On the morning of 15 April, US Army SGT Dominic Bender was returning to his Forward Operating Base with his platoon after a patrol. Upon entering a small village near Sardar Kala, Afghanistan, SGT Bender's platoon was ambushed with intense small arms and rocket - propelled grenade (RPG) fire by Taliban insurgents. While returning fire from the turret of his Cougar (MRAP) fighting vehicle, the insurgents fired an RPG across the top of SGT Bender's vehicle, impacting on an adjacent building and spewing shrapnel through his turret resulting in head and neck wounds and a broken jaw.
SGT Bender was evacuated to Baghram, Afghanistan where he had shrapnel removed from his neck and face, was stabilized, and Medevac'd to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, arriving 17 April. He has been attended to at Walter Reed by his Rolling Thunder brothers and sisters, a POW/MIA organization he is a member of, and friends from the local DC community. His recovery prognosis is good and he is expected to be released on convalescence leave sometime in June, 2010.
SGT Bender resided in Schaumburg, IL and is a 1998 graduate of Barrington High School. After serving on active duty and in the 801st Combat Support Hospital, US Army Reserves, he joined the Vermont National Guard's 1/172 Cavalry, in 2009, to serve in Afghanistan.
