KTKA

Walking around the Fort Riley Special Operations Career Fair, Captain Ivan Castro is guided by another soldier and his cane. A blind man wounded in battle isn’t someone you would ideally use as a recruiter, but Castro’s perseverance and dedication to the special forces is exactly what he wants to portray to these recruits.

"Special forces does not take everybody and we don’t want everybody," he said. "We want the guys that are going to be responsible."

A select group of soliders make it into special forces, a group known for performing dangerous missions. Castro was one of those special men. One day on a mission, he was struck with a mortar round shattering his right eye and leaving him blind. He battled anger and survivor guilt after losing fellow soldiers to the same mortar, but soon decided he had to move on.

"I say life is like a bank account," Castro explained. "What you put in is what you get out."

So Castro took up running marathons using a guide attached by a shoestring.

"It’s just putting one foot in front of the other," he said. "It’s having heart. It’s finding things that will motivate you."

All the while staying in the special forces. A brotherhood he says is unlike any other.

"I love my country and I love to represent it and do the right thing," he said.

Castro sees himself as a role model. Not only to his son, but to the hundreds of recruits considering the special forces.

"You can’t dwell on what you’ve lost," he said.

Which is why he gladly came to Fort Riley to share his story. Castro hopes soldiers follow their passion, just like he has.

Despite being able to make more money as a retired soldier, Castro says he has no desire to retire right now because he loves his job.