Perhaps he saw the Iraqi children who wandered around Fallujahâs unforgiving streets, some of whom were killed and maimed by enemy roadside bombs or tragically caught in the crossfire of firefights with insurgents.
Not long after Travis returned to California after his nieceâs baptism, he got a call from his former Naval Academy roommate, who was still deployed in Iraq. Brendan was at Camp Fallujah, where Travis had spent so much time from the summer of 2005 to the spring of 2006.
âGuess what, Travis?â Brendan said. âMy lat transfer to the SEALs was approved.â
âWow, that is awesome, man!â Travis said. âWhat did they say about you being colorblind? Didnât you say theyâve never accepted a colorblind candidate before?â
âI guess they decided to give me a shot,â Brendan said. âI was lucky enough to get some good recommendations.â
âMan, thatâs just great,â Travis said. âSo when do you start training?â
âIâll probably head out to San Diego next spring,â Brendan said. âBUD/S is going to be hard as hell, but itâs great to at least get a chance at it.â
Travis knew most candidates wound up quitting Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training, but he also knew that his former roommate never quit anything. If anyone could handle the worldâs most unrelenting audition, it was Brendan Looney.
âYouâre going to kick ass,â Travis said. âThe next time we hang out, Iâll take you on a run and whip you back into shape.â
When Brendan told Travis he would be home around November 2006âthe same time Travis was scheduled to take a trip back eastâthe two friends planned a visit.
âIâll have to check the schedule and see when the âSkins and Eagles play each other this year,â Travis said.
âSounds good,â Brendan said. âEagles are going down!â
âWeâll see about that,â Travis said with a laugh. âWell look, man, congratulations and make sure to stay safe over there.â
âThanks, Trav,â Brendan replied. âOh, and donât say anything to Amy about when Iâm coming home. . . . Iâm going to try to surprise her and my mom.â
Shortly after their phone call, Travis called his dad to tell him he had just heard from Brendan.
âDad, Brendan got picked up to try out for the Navy SEALs,â he said.
âThatâs great, Travis,â Tom said. âThe SEALs made the right call.â
âYep, Brendanâs as tough as they come,â Travis said.
Knowing that Brendan would probably become a Navy SEAL motivated Travis even more, just as hearing Travisâs stories from Fallujah helped push Brendan to continue pursuing special operations.Now that they were military officers, everything had a much bigger purpose than during their days at the Naval Academy. By driving each other to succeed, they were making each other better leaders.
Just prior to Thanksgiving 2006, Travis flew to Philadelphia to spend a few weeks with family and friends. He had been home in June and again in August and was planning to take a trip to Australia with friends before his mom pleaded with him to visit again before deploying to Iraq. Like most sons, Travis occasionally rolled his eyes at his momâs protective nature, but at the same time, he knew how important it was to spend time with her before going back to war.
One of the first things Travis did was meet up with Marine Major Steve Cantrell, an assistant Navy wrestling coach and economics professor whom Travis looked up to and respected. Cantrell had both coached and taught Travis in Annapolis and subsequently developed friendships with Tom and Janet after he moved to Pennsylvania.
Even after Travis had left the academy and come back, Cantrell had admired the young manâs strength of character. He saw Travisâs will to succeed
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