MONUMENT — Dark clouds moving in and the threat of additional snow couldn’t dim the smile on Sgt. Gavin Sibayan’s face.
“Got another one,” he exclaimed, bringing a pan-sized rainbow trout through the ice of Monument Lake one recent morning.
“Yeah, you’re the top guy today,” Staff Sgt. Jason Anderson noted from another ice-fishing hut. “Now it’s about time for me to catch one, too.”
Sibayan rebaited his hook and dropped it down the hole in the ice. He settled into a folding chair and watched the rod tip for any little movement that would suggest another fish had taken the bait.
“I really enjoy this,” he said. “It lets me get away from things and helps me just to relax.”
Most important, perhaps, fishing might help Sibayan, who grew up in Westminster, take his mind off that fateful day in 2007 when he was serving with the U.S. Army’s 543rd Military Police Company in Iraq. Multiple blasts from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) went off nearby, and he had been hit.
“I was evacuated here to Fort Carson, and I’ve been here ever since,” Sibayan said. “It was good to get back to Colorado.”
His wounds were serious. He’s undergone two hip surgeries and extensive physical therapy.
“Lots and lots of therapy,” he said, smiling softly and slowly nodding his head.
Sibayan, 29, hopes to eventually return to duty, and at present is assigned to the Warrior Transition Battalion at Fort Carson. The unit provides at least six months of comprehensive therapy for soldiers who have been wounded or injured in combat or have related illnesses. The objective is to help the veterans with their transition either to civilian life or back to active military duty.
A full range of outreach programs includes job training and counseling in life skills, as well as a wide range of recreational activities as part of the therapy. Outdoor pursuits such as fishing, fly-tying and hunting are among the activities tailored to the needs and interests of individual veterans.
“This kind of thing wasn’t around when I got out,” said Bill Miller of Monument, who served in the Navy during the Vietnam War, and with Dave Bryant of Denver operates the Lake Ice USA guide service, host of the Monument Lake outing. “It’s an excellent program, and we jumped at the chance to get involved with it.”
Accordingly, Lake Ice USA provided fishing expertise and all the equipment for the day on the ice. A group of volunteers assisting with the effort included former Denver Bronco Rod Smith and high school students Zach Garfield and Lance Pozzi, who will enter the Marine Corps upon graduation.
“We have an all-volunteer military, and these are some exceptional young people,” Miller said. “In our own little way, we wanted to give something back to them.”
Soon enough, the tip of Sibayan’s ice-fishing rod twitches. He reaches for the rod, sets the hook and brings up another trout. He shows the fish to Anderson, who was with the 101st Airborne Division in Iraq and is currently on the staff of the transition battalion, accompanying Sibayan and two other wounded vets on the fishing trip. Both smile again and continue their friendly competition.
Their smiles are contagious.
“It’s as rewarding for us as it is for them,” Bryant said. “People overlook what the military does for us. We couldn’t do the things we do if not for the soldiers. These are some great guys, and we wanted to show our appreciation for them.
“It cuts into our fishing time a little, but it’s something we really enjoy doing. And the volunteers have fun, too.”
Back at the ice hut, Sibayan, a casual fisherman while growing up, has found a new hobby. Though the day at Monument Lake was his first serious attempt at ice-fishing, he’s been on several open-water trips through the transition program.
“Being at Fort Carson has let me be with my family (his wife, Stephanie, and son, Gavin Jr.), and the fishing has been a great way to get out, relax and enjoy life,” he said. “It’s something I’ve really enjoyed, and it’s something I plan to keep doing for a long time.”
For information about becoming involved with the warrior transition program, contact Sgt. 1st Class Michael Harper at 719-502-6846 or e-mail Michael.E.Harper.@amedd.army.mil.
