Toby Montoya made a promise to a friend that left him with a traumatic brain injury and 10 appointments a week with doctors and therapists, but he said he would make the same promise again "in a heartbeat" if given the chance.

The incident that might end Montoya's military career also earned him a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star.

While serving as a specialist with the Illinois Army National Guard in Afghanistan, Montoya's convoy was hit by an improvised explosive device, sending the 37,000-pound "mine-resistant, ambush-protected" vehicle in which he was riding 5 feet into the air.

Though he was injured, the 37-year-old divorced father of three from Ranchos de Taos saw that the convoy remained disciplined and checked on the condition of other soldiers. "I knew I was hurt, but I didn't know how bad," he said.

Montoya said he remembers the first 10 minutes after the blast, but has only vague recollections of the following two weeks, including time he spent in a German hospital. "I couldn't remember my kids' names," he said. "I was falling down all the time."

Today he can calmly recount the events and describe the 8-foot-wide crater the IED left in the road. But Montoya is still visibly upset that he had to step down as convoy commander after he was injured.

"I left my men on the field of battle. That still bothers me to this day," he said.

Unlikely promise

Montoya has served in the military on and off since 1992, re-enlisting after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and hoping to become an Army nurse.

He was deployed to Iraq for 545 days in 2004 and 2005 as part of a "human intelligence team." However, he said traveling the notorious "Airport Road" every day, he was in the thick of the hostilities, getting close to seven IED explosions, including two car bombs. He said an alternator once whizzed by within a quarter-inch of his head. "We did more fighting than we did our job," he said.

Flying back home in 2005, Montoya stopped over in Chicago to visit with some service friends. It was then that he made a promise to Ken Rahm, a member of the Illinois Army National Guard, that if Rahm's unit were ever deployed, he would transfer so they could stay together.

"I said, 'I promise you, bro. I got your back,' " Montoya recalled.

When Rahm called him in 2008 to say his unit was going to Afghanistan, Montoya requested a transfer. Rahm didn't believe him at first, Montoya said. "But I don't break my promises."

On Halloween, the friends boarded a flight to Kurdistan, and from there they went on to Afghanistan. Montoya's team spent most of its time escorting VIPs and protecting civil affairs staff. He worked out "religiously" to stay strong so he could "lead from the front." He said he would never ask his men to do anything he wouldn't do first.

Between missions, Montoya treated injuries, burns and the occasional gunshot wound at a French clinic. One day, seven children injured by an IED were brought to the clinic. Rahm worked to keep a 4-year-old boy alive. "I did everything I could. He had massive, massive trauma," Montoya said. "He died in my arms."

Ominous feeling

On June 1, 2009, Montoya was leading a convoy through Taliban territory. He said he had a "funny feeling" about the mission and told his team to be extra-alert. He continued to check with intelligence about any new activity as the convoy proceeded. He could tell the enemy was watching from signal-mirror flashes in the distance. Occasionally he would hit the flashes with a laser flash of his own to let the combatants know they had been spotted.

Then, after the convoy passed onto a dirt road, Montoya said he felt like his vehicle was kicked by a mule. "I thought I was on fire. I thought, 'Damn, this is it,' " he said. The driver told Montoya he wasn't burning. "Then we laughed. It's crazy what you laugh about," he said.

Aftermath

Montoya suffered a traumatic brain injury, as well as injuries to his head, neck and back. He now has migraines, and "I had to learn how to walk and talk again like a baby," he said. "My life revolves around doctors."

He walks with a cane and doesn't know when he will be able to drive again. "I try to keep as much independence as I can," he said, but "it gets frustrating."

Montoya's mother, Marie Salas, helps him through his days and takes him to his doctor's appointments. After losing a 15-year-old son in an ATV accident in 1999, she said, "I didn't believe in miracles anymore." But "Toby coming home is a miracle."

Montoya said his brain injury was "like having your mind wiped clean." He said he has noticed personality changes (he is more patient now), feels isolated, loses entire days and forgets whether he ate. He uses an iPod as his "external memory" to keep track of appointments and contacts.

"My career's probably over. I'm still adjusting to that. I feel lost," he said. "I make a damn good infantryman. But my body's wrecked. My mind's wrecked."

Montoya said he is still deciding what he will do next. He keeps in touch with Rahm, safely home in Illinois. He dreams of putting together events such as a "wounded warrior games" or a bike ride to bring awareness to traumatic brain injuries while offering sense of camaraderie to those who aren't able to serve after sustaining injuries.

For Montoya, some days go smoothly while others bring confusion and vertigo. "But I always smile, or try to," he said. "Because I did make it, damn it. Others didn't."

Contact Matthew van Buren at mvanburen@taosnews.com.