In spite of a year away from family, in spite of the numbness in his arm, a once-shattered knee, one S.C. Highway Patrolman and National Guard reservist stands ready to serve in the war zone again.

"I went and served with a great bunch of guys and girls," SCHP Lance Cpl. Trevor Clinton said. "I'm proud of my service, proud of my time I spent over there. I'm proud of the job we did, the 218th Brigade."

A nine-year veteran of the Highway Patrol, the 32-year-old Afghan veteran remembers his buddies in combat on this Veteran's Day -- the camaraderie, the bonds made between fellow soldiers at war.

Arriving in Afghanistan on May 7, 2007, Clinton and his unit had to adjust to the different terrain and climate.

"Our major focus over there was we were a maintenance unit," Clinton said. "We worked in vehicle recovery."

Immediately noticeable around their base in Kabul were the charred hulks of military equipment from the Soviet war two decades earlier, reminders the region had been war-torn for decades.

"All throughout the country you'll see burned-out tanks and equipment," he said. "We didn't pay it a whole lot of attention, we stayed focused on the mission and that was to reestablish the Afghan army and make them strong again."

That mission didn't come without a price.

In July 2007, the South Carolinian injured his knee. Clinton said he persevered even with the knee that was paining him.

But in August, Clinton was on a detail making a supply run from Camp Phoenix to another camp, also near Kabul. While traveling through a crowded commercial area, a dump truck barreled out of an alleyway, slamming into the side of Clinton's Humvee where he was riding shotgun.

"We didn't have a door on that side (after), but we kept on rolling," he said. "It was better for us to drive on through."

When they reached the camp they were to resupply, it was only then that Clinton realized the injuries he sustained in the collision were more serious than he initially thought.

"After that truck wreck, I had my arm in a sling," he said.

Clinton believes the driver of the truck was acting alone, simply disgruntled at the presence of a foreign army.

"In a sense, we were fighting for them, for their freedom from the Taliban regime," Clinton said. "The majority are very grateful for what we're doing. But, as with anywhere, you have good and some bad."

He was soon sent to Germany and eventually to Ft. Jackson in Columbia for a series of surgeries on both his arm and knee.

During his six months of rehabilitation and physical therapy, Clinton says his thoughts drifted back to Afghanistan and the 218th.

As he lay in his hospital bed, he recalled the letters and packages that came from home, thanking him for his service.

"It's a good feeling to know that people over here still care about you," he said. "When that letter comes in from the local school, it gives you a big boost in morale. You don't realize how much it does for that troop to receive a letter from home."

Even though he's been stateside since his tour was up in June, Clinton says his fellow men and women still fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan are not far from his mind.

"My thoughts and prayers are always with the men and women who are still over there fighting to aid that country," he said. "Whatever I can do to help out, I want to do it. If they (the troops) need a package sent over, I'm always willing to do that."

Today, he's back in Orangeburg County serving the community. But Clinton said he could be redeployed at any time -- he's got four years left as a reservist.

Clinton says he looks back on the time he spent overseas and stands ready to serve again with the personnel still "in country."

"We developed a real closeness together, your battle buddies," he said. "It gave us a whole new bond that we'll always have."

T&D Staff Writer Richard Walker can be reached by e-mail at rwalker@timesanddemocrat.com or by telephone at 803-533-5516. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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