Near-death experience galvanizes leadership principles for ERDC’s Vargas
A U.S. Army Stryker, on a mission to recover another damaged Stryker in support of American forces in Baqubah, Iraq, struck a buried improvised explosive device, which caused the Stryker to flip over and catch fire, May 10, 2007. Lt. Col. Rico Vargas, then a 23-year-old artillery officer, was ejected from the vehicle, suffering a broken bone, broken nose, lacerations and chemical burns from the vehicle’s fuel. (U.S. Army photo)

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Photo by: U.S Army Photo courtesy of Lt. Col. Rico Vargas |  VIRIN: 070510-A-A1304-001.JPG