A month ago, 19-year-old Kyle Franke was back in Potter County, seeing old friends and hanging out with family. The timing for his short reprieve from military service in Afghanistan couldn’t have been better— certainly not for his mother Julie Dubots, anyway: it was her birthday and her only child was home for it.
For Julie, an employee of the Potter County Treasurer’s Office, the stay was not long enough and it seemed like only hours before Kyle was on his way back. But for Kyle, a member of the Army’s 101st Airborne Division, serving in Afghanistan is a duty he embraces. “He knew what he was getting into when he joined,” his mother said. “He’s a brave kid. He loves his job and he wants to be there.”
His days in Afghanistan came to an abrupt end last Thursday. He was injured when the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) armored vehicle he was in ran over a bomb buried in the road. Kyle was manning the 50-caliber turret gun on top of the MRAP. He and his fellow soldiers were all violently thrown around in the vehicle, with Kyle suffering the most serious injuries. His left eye socket was broken, as was his left cheek bone. He suffered a concussion and his nose was broken.
After initially treated in Germany, Kyle is now in a Washington, D. C., hospital. He is doing well and will likely not have any lasting problems as a result of his injuries. Soon, he’ll return to his home base at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
Kyle normally drives the vehicle, but that day he was doing the most dangerous job— standing up in the center of the MRAP in the turret. But, Kyle was not standing when the explosion took place. “His guardian angel was watching over him,” his mother said. “For whatever reason, he had just ducked down inside when they hit (the IDE) or it most certainly would have been a lot worse.”
Kyle, a 2009 graduate of Coudersport High School, is a member of Echo Company. He has excelled in all areas as a soldier and before the accident was being considered as a potential candidate for the elite Army Rangers. That may be in jeopardy now, Julie said, since it is almost certain he won’t be called into combat again. “I don’t think he’s going to be excited about that,” Julie said. “But as his mother, it’s hard for me not to be.”
(Story reprinted with permission of Endeavor News.)