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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAfter Basic Training, we headed to Airborne School. Airborne didn\u2019t have the same level of physical intensity as Basic Training, and we now had weekends off. A group of about eight of us stuck together. We knew the mission: to be ready for the RIP (Ranger Indoctrination Program), a four-week selection that began with a strict PT test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Devin and I were in the same platoon and, to add to that, the same squad. We were only two soldiers apart in rank, which made it hard to focus. If I was a clown, Devin was the circus. He gave me more confidence to be a fool because he wouldn\u2019t just match it\u2014he\u2019d beat it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We made a pact: if one of us got called to do push-ups, we\u2019d both do them. \u201cCan\u2019t smoke a rock, Sergeant!\u201d we\u2019d say. We planned to make sure our fitness didn\u2019t degrade before RIP. We got smoked as much as possible, always with an over-exaggerated, condescending \u201cHOOOOOAH!\u201d as we pushed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We pissed off a lot of higher ranks during that course\u2014so much so that one Sergeant First Class pulled us aside to tell us we weren\u2019t \u201cRanger material\u201d and would never make it. Fuel to the fire. We pushed harder. \u201cHOOOOAH!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We didn\u2019t care what anyone thought of us. We knew the path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We had one mission: to become Army Rangers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On our last weekend before the Monday morning PT test to get into RIP, we decided to go out in the Columbus area for a beer. We just wanted to relax and release some stress. We both opened tabs and got a table. Devin walked away to talk on the phone with his family, and I was doing the same. Another two future RIP students, Bloody and Quartermouse, were still at the table, talking amongst themselves\u2014until one of them turned to a table of girls and said something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Devin and I were wrapping up our calls and heading back to the table. As I closed the distance, I heard Bloody say the word \u201cRANGER\u201d through the music while gesturing with his hands on his chest. Within moments, two large gentlemen perked up and turned toward Bloody. One of them asked, \u201cRanger, eh? So, what company are you guys in?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At that point, I knew Bloody had just gotten us into some shit we might regret. Bloody carefully searched for his next lie, hoping it would land with ease. \u201cDelta Company.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As I squinted, waiting for their reaction. He had no idea that, at the time, 3rd Ranger Battalion didn\u2019t have a Delta Company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere is no Delta Company!\u201d one of them said, and that was that. A scuffle broke out. We practiced breaking contact the best we could to avoid drawing attention before the MPs got involved. We ran down the street until we found a parked truck and jumped into the bed, hoping to let the scene settle. A few hours passed, and Devin and I were able to close our tabs without issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During morning formation, there was an extra NCO standing at the front, scanning the formation for a few familiar faces. None of us broke. We were lucky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After formation, Devin went up to the RIP cadre and told them he couldn\u2019t find his military ID card. The cadre decided to recycle him. (\u201cRecycle\u201d is a term used in the military schooling system to process a student to restart the course or start at a later date. It\u2019s used as punishment or for retraining if standards aren\u2019t met.) At the time, we thought he might\u2019ve lost his ID during the weekend drama, but he later found it in another pair of pants in his locker. Unfortunately, they\u2019d already decided to recycle him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I went off to 2nd Ranger Battalion, then to combat, and eventually back to the Regiment before I saw him again. During our next training cycle, on my way to chow, I saw him walking back to his company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDevin!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was a reunion I wasn\u2019t expecting, but damn, I was excited about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ranger Battalion training cycles during that time of the war were intense. After returning from combat, the unit typically got a few weeks to recover before diving into a rigorous six-month training cycle covering all the Mission Essential Task Lists (METLs) needed to prepare for the next deployment. This time, my platoon was training for Iraq.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rangers typically trained in different cycles within the broader training cycle\u2014jump cycle, raid cycle, special training cycle, and so on. Once Devin and I reconnected, I invited him over for a home-cooked meal. At the time, we were all rotating through the same training site. It was a live Close Quarters Battle (CQB) training location, meaning we used live rounds to clear rooms and bounded forward as a squad to the next building, shooting at threats (silhouettes and paper targets representing bad guys).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alpha Company went first on Tuesday, Bravo Company on Wednesday, and Charlie Company on Thursday. Dinner at my house was planned for Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I received a call early Friday morning, around 2 a.m., that Charlie Company had a training accident. A soldier named \u201cFigueroa\u201d had lost his life. Half-asleep, I didn\u2019t register the name and just said, \u201cThank you, Sergeant,\u201d before going back to sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When I woke up, the call lingered in my mind. It was the first time our unit had lost someone to training since I\u2019d been there. I wasn\u2019t sure what to expect. When I showed up to the platoon, I was greeted by Kim from Basic Training. We were in the same platoon now, and he had a glossed-over look in his eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBro, did you hear? Devin was killed in training last night.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I didn\u2019t hear him clearly. It was almost like an echo. My subconscious knew who he meant, but my physical body wouldn\u2019t let me process it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I said, \u201cNo, bro. It was someone named Figueroa.\u201d Then a long pause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, bro. It was Devin.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The rest of the day was a blur, a confusing haze for both Kim and me. What was the process? How did we learn more? As a PFC in Ranger Regiment, we weren\u2019t privy to any information. To be honest, I didn\u2019t even know what I was expecting. Two of his closest friends in the Regiment weren\u2019t given any option to take time to mourn or be involved\u2014because we weren\u2019t in his platoon or company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On my drive home, it all started to boil inside me. This was the first friend I had lost since being in the military, and this one hit harder because he was killed in a training accident\u2014something that felt so preventable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I pulled up to my apartment, everything inside me came to a boil. My hands trembled as I struggled to get the key into the lock. Finally, I burst through the door and broke down\u2014Devin wouldn\u2019t be joining us for dinner tonight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the months passed, I wrapped up a deployment to Iraq and was sent to Ranger School. While anticipating my graduation date, I realized that if I went straight through without recycling, I would graduate on December 16, 2005\u2014the one-year anniversary of Devin\u2019s death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Devin wanted nothing more than to become a Ranger. He was incredibly dedicated to that dream. Being recycled multiple times before reaching the battalion didn\u2019t stop him. And if he had been given the opportunity, nothing would have stopped him from earning his Ranger tab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was driven to honor my friend. I did everything I could to avoid mistakes, with only one goal in mind: to earn that tab for Devin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the second part of the Mountains phase, on one of the first nights of patrolling, I fell down a steep hill. My rucksack strap snagged and jolted my body backward. It shook me up, but I couldn\u2019t quit. Two Ranger buddies pulled me up, and I pushed forward with the mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The next morning, I knew something was wrong. My right arm had stopped working. What I thought was just a moment of numbness turned out to be something far worse\u2014my right arm was dead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Later, the medics called it Rucksack Palsy. The official medical term is brachial plexus nerve damage.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n With one arm, and in one of the most challenging schools in the military, I had to rely on some of my closest friends to help me, but I refused to go to the medics for fear of being recycled. I had a mission: to graduate on December 16, 2005. Through some of the most challenging moments of my life, I found the strength\u2014or the support I needed\u2014to get through the rest of the Mountains phase and Florida phase. A part of me believed that Devin was with me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On December 16, 2005, I received the Distinguished Honor Graduate Award from Ranger School\u2014the highest award given during graduation. I\u2019ve always been proud of earning that tab, but more so because I did it for Devin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wanted to write this to keep Devin\u2019s memory alive. He was more than a friend\u2014he was a brother. His personality, his charisma, his drive to be the best, and his ability to light up a room were unmatched. Even now, I can still see his smile, hear his laugh, and feel his presence in the moments when I need it most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Devin may not have had the chance to earn the tab he aspired to, but I am proud to wear ours for both of us every time I put on the uniform. His legacy lives on in the hearts of those who knew him, and I\u2019ll carry his memory with me for the rest of my life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n December 16, 2024, marks 20 years since Devin lost his life in that tragic training accident. While the pain of his loss remains, so does the strength of his memory and the impact he continues to have on those who knew him\u2014and even those who didn\u2019t. Devin\u2019s family has worked tirelessly to ensure that his legacy lives on, not just in our hearts but through a meaningful mission to support others in his honor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The PFC. Devin K.P. Cardenas Memorial Foundation<\/strong> was established by his family to honor Devin\u2019s sacrifice and uphold the values he lived by. Devin was a proud Army Ranger assigned to Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, who gave his all to uphold the honor of the Ranger Regiment. His family\u2019s foundation reflects that same dedication and commitment to service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The foundation\u2019s mission is to provide scholarships for military personnel, their children, and grandchildren, ensuring that education remains accessible to those who serve and their families. It also offers general relief funds to assist Ranger families in times of need and supports the soldiers of Charlie Company, 75th Ranger Regiment, during deployments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through these efforts, the PFC. Devin K.P. Cardenas Memorial Foundation<\/strong> not only keeps Devin\u2019s memory alive but also embodies the spirit of selflessness and sacrifice that defined his life. It stands as a testament to his legacy and ensures that his dedication to freedom, liberty, and justice for all will never be forgotten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As we reflect on 20 years since Devin\u2019s passing, let us honor his memory by supporting the foundation’s mission that bears his name. Devin\u2019s light continues to shine through the lives it touches, and his legacy of service and sacrifice will live on for generations to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/vincentroccovargas.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/IMG_2091.jpeg\")
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