Pasco-Hernando State College Volume XIII, Issue II Fall 2019 | Page 16

FEATURE
STORY
Tim Read with therapy
dog Shadow.
FROM BATTLEFIELD
TO CLASSROOM
He nearly died while serving his country. That is only the
beginning of Tim Read’s story.
R
etired Marine and Pasco-Hernando State College student Read was first deployed to Iraq in 2009 and then he was sent to
Timothy Read grew up with one primary goal; to join the Afghanistan in 2010. It was during this second deployment on
United States Marine Corps. “I had always been a Boy October 15, 2010, when he stepped on an improvised explosive
Scout and wanted to serve my country. I also wanted the chance device (IED). At the time, he was on patrol with the 2 nd Battalion,
to go to college someday,” Read said. Right after he graduated 6 th Marines in Marjah. When the IED went off, Read lost his left
high school in 2007, he headed to boot camp to begin his military leg, just above the knee. “We got hit so hard we had combat
service. What Marine Cpl. Tim Read did not know, is becoming replacement from other units and that gave my unit more people
a Marine would evolve into something else. His service to our to watch their back.” He also received multiple other injuries such
country almost became the ultimate sacrifice. as a collapsed lung and a traumatic brain injury. At Walter Reed
16
PHSC Perspective