Sep 19, 2008 5:26 pm US/Eastern
Local Soldier Recovering After Afghanistan Injury
SAN ANTONIO, Tx. (CBS 3) ―
Violence in Afghanistan nearly claimed the life
of a local man serving our country overseas. He now faces a long and difficult
road to discovery.
Kevin McCloskey, 21, from the Mayfair section of Philadelphia says the months he spent in Afghanistan changed his life
forever, both emotionally and physically.
"Got handed a bad hand in life, I'm still
blessed to have my family and my friends. I really would not take back any
second of what happened," McCloskey said.
The young soldier ended up losing both of his legs
because of an improvised explosive device.
He remembers fellow troops comforting him right after the blast.
"Telling me everything would be fine, it was
something I that I never thought I'd see in my life because I really thought
time was up for me," he said.
McCloskey is a witness to the fact that insurgent activity
in Afghanistan
is in fact escalating and becoming a real concern for American forces on the
ground.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates visited the country
this week and acknowledged that he and other top officials are reviewing the
strategy.
McCloskey says he thinks the U.S. needs more troops there
because patrolling the border is a challenge.
"A lot of the Taliban comes in and out of Afghanistan
and more troops there and more patrolling would be a lot better for the whole
situation over there."
The soldier is currently busy rehabilitating in San Antonio but keeps in
touch with some of his fellow troops fighting overseas.
Despite his life altering injuries the young soldier maintains
he has no regrets.
"For one of the first times in my life, I'm
proud of myself and not worried about what other people are thinking. You don't
need the best things in life, everything that I needed in life was around me at
all times and that's my family and friends and I didn't notice this until this
(his injury) happened."
(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
