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| Corporal (Cpl) Travis Reyes hails from Oxon Hill, Maryland, where he developed a passion for lacrosse and RC helicopters during his childhood. Following his high school graduation, Cpl Reyes enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2021. He completed boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina, and Marine Combat Training at New River, North Carolina. Cpl Reyes then graduated from the schoolhouse in Pensacola, Florida, before returning to New River to attend the MV-22 technical school. In 2022, Cpl Reyes was stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawai’i, where he honed his skills as an airframer. He further advanced his career by training as an Aerial Observer/Gunner. |
| Shortly after his promotion to Corporal, Cpl Reyes deployed to Darwin, Australia, where he completed his Corporals Course and eventually would complete his Aerial Observer/Gunner training syllabus. During his last training flight, the MV-22 Osprey crashed on the Tiwi Islands off the coast of Darwin. Cpl Reyes sustained critical injuries and required immediate, intensive care. He was first treated at Royal Darwin Hospital and subsequently transferred to the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, where he spent approximately two months in the Intensive Care Unit. |
| In a groundbreaking effort, the only Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) team from the Department of Defense collaborated with the Institute of Surgical Research Burn Intensive Care Unit at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC), orchestrated a complex retrieval mission to bring Cpl Reyes to BAMC once he was in better conditions. This mission was the longest ECMO retrieval in history and marked the first ECMO unit circuit change performed in a moving aircraft. Throughout his ordeal, Cpl Reyes has received exemplary care, underscoring the extraordinary capabilities and significance of modern military medicine. |
