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 | | 2001: Gilbert Magallanes standing to right behind soon to be Afgan President Harmid Karzai |
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Patriot Profile: Gilbert Magallanes
Duty, Honor, Sacrifice
Sponsored by Echelon Front
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MSG. Gilbert Magallanes (Retired), US Army, ODA 574
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MSG Gilbert Magallanes is an incredible man with an amazing story of courage, determination and transformation. In 2001 Gilbert, or Mag as his friends
 | | 2001: Gilbert "Mag" Magallanes with Afghan fighters he helped to recruit |
know him, was a highly trained special forces operator, a Green Beret. He and his 11 man team were tasked to become experts in a little known area of the world know as Afghanistan. The team learned the languages, culture and history of the region. If war broke out, they would be the first US troops to hit the ground. The team would go deep behind enemy lines and use their skills to recruit and train rebel fighters to oppose a hostile enemy.
A few weeks after the Trade Center attacks on September 11, 2001, Mag and his team dropped into southern Afghanistan, they were the only American forces on the ground. Their mission was to recruit and train a rebel force to defeat the Taliban in Southern Afghanistan.
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Eleven Green Berets vs. The Taliban
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 | | The Amazing Story of ODA 574 |
Incredibly within weeks of hitting the ground in Afghanistan, Mag's team, Operational Detachment Alpha 574 or ODA 574, and their newly recruited rebel force decimated the Taliban in southern Afghanistan, an area covering over 60,000 square miles. The team had picked up a little know Afghan Statesman, Harmid Karzi and were on their way to the capital city of Kabul to present him as the new leader of the nation when disaster struck.
In the fog of war the Air Force dropped a 2000 pound bomb on the teams position. The blast killed 50 of the rebel fighters, and all of Mag's team was wounded, three were dead.
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Gilbert was badly wounded but alive. His hand was severed, fingers missing and he suffered the first open traumatic brain injury of the war. He would spend nearly 10 years learning how to swallow, talk and
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"Mag", far left, takes on the Pony Expres
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walk again. He never gave up and never stopped working to recover from his wounds. Gilbert Magallanes, through faith and a ruthless determination, beat the odds and made a comeback nobody believed possible. In 2011, as part of his recovery process, Gilbert join up with Camp Patriot to take part the 150 Anniversary of the Pony Express Ride. It was the first time he had ever ridden a horse. Click here to view the video.
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| Camp Patriot Mt. Rainier Summit Challenge Team |
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In July of 2011 Mag join the Camp Patriot Mt. Rainier Summit Challenge Team. In the years leading up to the climb, Mag was unable to walk, talk or swallow and now he was
 | | Mag, front left, leads the way up Mt. Rainier |
"As we ascended Disappointment Cleaver, the most challenging part of the climb, it was 2:00 AM and pitch dark, Mag was on his hands and knees crawling his way up the steep pitch. We all cheered him on, he would not quit. Mag is legally blind, missing part of his hand and he dragged himself to the top of the cleaver. At 11,500 feet, just above the Disappointment Cleaver, our lead guide had to beg Mag to stop, turn around and go back to base camp. Mag is an amazing guy and a great inspiration."
- Robert Vera, Volunteer Guide
Mag continues to inspire others, since his climb of Mt. Rainier he has completed several triathlons, rode his tandem bike over 600 miles down the California coast and helped Camp Patriot raise funds to assist other wounded veterans.
We are grateful for Gilbert's service to our nation, we are honored to call him our friend.
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| The Echelon Front - Camp Patriot Partnership |
| About Camp Patriot: Challenge, Change and Lead |
Thank you for your support.
God Bless,
Micah, Bob, Bill and all of us at Camp Patriot
p. 480-201-4036
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Camp Patriot Copyright © 2006-2012 All Rights Reserved.
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to successfully manage the challenges of an ever 
