FORT BENNING, Ga., (Aug.26, 2015) --Ranger Class 08-15 is not without inspiring stories and heroic feats.
In addition to 1st. Lt. Shaye Haver and Capt. Kristen Griest making history by becoming the first women to graduate from Ranger Course, 40 students survived a lightning strike and one student beat cancer.
2nd Lt. Anthony Rombold was among the 40 students who were hospitalized following a lightning strike that occurred at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida during the swamp phase of Ranger Course. Unlike the 39 other students, Rombold's heart flatlined.
Spc. Christopher Carvalho, a medic with 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, reacted quickly and saved Rombold's life.
Carvalho said the lightning strike knocked him to the ground.
"My left arm was completely locked at 90 degrees and my legs weren't working very well. I looked up to make sure that all of my friends were alive and I saw that they were alive," Carvalho said.
Carvalho said as he looked around he saw that everyone was on the ground and screaming. Then he heard a Ranger instructor say, "We've got an unconscious person. Get somebody over here."
Carvalho said as his legs starting working again, he started moving in Rombold's direction.
"I performed CPR for about a minute and then he started swatting my hands away and taking a breath or two," Carvalho said.
Rombold said he remembers hearing the thunder getting closer and closer, but does not remember the actual lightning strike.
"The last thing I remember was thinking, 'man I hope we don't get hit.' The next thing I know, I woke up and I was on a helicopter," Rombold said. "I turned to the flight medic and asked him if I did something wrong, because I didn't know why I was there. He told me I was hit by lightning."
Rombold and about 20 other students were hospitalized after the lightning strike, but returned to training the next day.
"It was nice recovering a little bit in the hospital," he said.
Despite the short rest from the training, Rombold never stopped thinking about getting back out there.
"Just knowing I was three days away from being done with the field training exercise, (I just) wanted to get back to training and finish," Rombold said. "Initially, I was told that I might not be able to return to training, and I didn't want any of that. I was happy to return. "
Rombold credits Carvalho, as well as 2nd Lt. Erickson Krough, for helping him survive a lightning strike.
"If it wasn't for them, I probably wouldn't be here," Rombold said.
Carvalho said Rombold is the second life he has had a chance to save.
"Second to what I've done in combat, it's the second most important thing I've ever done. It's exactly why I signed up to be a medic," Carvalho said.
2nd Lt. Michael Janowski is a survivor of a different sort.
Janowski began Ranger Course in July 2014, just after his graduation from West Point. But, at the beginning of training he was diagnosed with cancer.
"I was medically dropped from the course," Janowski said.
Janowski underwent surgery and doctors told him he would not need chemotherapy treatment.
"I was in remission. So, five weeks later I came back to (the course) to restart," Janowski said. "I made it through the first phase before I had to do a blood test, which showed that the cancer had returned."
At that time Janowski was diagnosed with Stage IV testicular cancer, and it had spread to his abdominal lymph nodes and his right lung.
He was redropped from the course and went through three months of chemo.
Janowski's brother, Chris, wrote a blog about the experience.
"I can't say I've ever seen my brother as broken as he was when he was sick, but he did an incredible job hiding how terrible he truly felt," Chris wrote. "I was constantly looking at him, trying to seek out how he was truly feeling, but no matter what, he tried his best to hide how hard he was hurting."
According to Chris's blog, the chemotherapy took a harsh toll on Janowski's body, but on Dec. 15, 2014 he was declared cancer free. He returned to Fort Benning in January to complete Infantry Basic Officer Leadership Course.
"Then I came back to Ranger School for a third time and this time I was lucky enough to be in the historic class, so it all works out," Janowski said.
Janowski was Haver's "Ranger buddy." During a press panel Janowski mentioned a time when his load became too heavy for him to handle and Haver stepped up to help.
"She literally saved me. I probably wouldn't be sitting here right now if it weren't for Shaye," Janowski said.
Janowski was appreciative of all of the friends he made during Ranger training.
"My buddies drove me, everyone next to me. They carried me through it. If it wasn't for them I never would have gotten here," Janowski said.
Janowski said he tried not to focus on his illness.
"I honestly don't know if it affected me. I just ignored the fact that I ever went through any of that," he said.
Janowski said he worked so hard, even through illness, to earn his Ranger Tab because he wants to be the best leader he can be.
"My Soldiers expect me to give everything I have for them. I can't take them to combat and put them in harm's way if they have any doubt that they are not getting 100 percent from me. So, I had to show them today that they're going to get 100 percent," Janowski said.
For the DVIDS broadcast links of the MCoE Leadership Panel visit https://goo.gl/rztLso, the Ranger Student Panel visit https://goo.gl/WmgRJ6, the Ranger Class 08-15 graduation visit https://goo.gl/xSFieB. For photos of the events visit http://goo.gl/4jTSI9 and http://goo.gl/99i7AY.
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