October 6, 2014 at 4:04 p.m.
What a way to see the world
What a way to see the world
"I always had the military in the back of my mind," Robinson said. "I didn't know my grandpa, Peter Terzynski, very well because he passed away when I was five years old. I knew he was a great man from the stories my mom and grandma told me growing up and he received a Purple Heart in World War II while serving in the Army."
That family connection was a major factor in Robinson's decision to enlist, but he wasn't immediately sure which branch would be the right fit for him. It was a particularly tough decision, he said.
"At first, I couldn't decide between the Marines and the Navy, but after talking with the Marine recruiter a time or two, I decided that the Marine Corp. wasn't for me," Robinson said. "My good friend Matt Furyk was preparing to leave for boot camp so he was always encouraging me to come to recruiting meetings and was a big player in my decision to join the Navy. I knew I wanted a special operations-type job in the Navy because I always challenged myself as a kid and I knew I had the inspiration to do anything I wanted. When I heard about the Navy's Air Rescue Swimmer program, I knew that was my calling."
Robinson finally had a path he felt confident about, and best of all, he didn't have to go it alone. An old friend planned on following right behind him.
"I didn't sign up alone. My best friend, Marcus Knudsen, and I originally enlisted together," he said. "However, after the Navy changed its requirement for its rescue swimmer program, Marcus' contract changed to explosive ordinance disposal and we went on our own separate ways."
Robinson was suddenly without that constant connection to home. He responded by turning his attention to his training. He found an entirely new connection with the work that would define the following years of his life. Before long, he became an expert in a cutting-edge field within the United States military.
"I originally thought my role would be solely aviation search and rescue," Robinson said. "Seven months into my training though, I quickly learned that helicopters are capable of doing much more, and that, in turn, much more was expected of me as an aircrewman."
Robinson continued to put work in and dedicated his time to familiarizing himself with the Navy's finest helicopters.
"After 24 months of training, I was a qualified as a tactical helicopter aircrewman, flying in the fleet's newest helicopter model , the MH-60R Seahawk, the world's most capable helicopter," Robinson said. "The aircraft's primary missions are anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare. The helicopter's secondary missions include search and rescue, logistics support, medical evacuation and vertical replenishment to name a few."
It's those secondary missions that Robinson finds especially satisfying, and he's even run point with his group.
"I've learned many technical skills when it comes to running the helicopter's many mission systems, but my favorite is search and rescue procedures," Robinson said. "From September 2013 until September 2014, I was actually chosen to run my squadron's search and rescue program as the search and rescue standardization petty officer. The job was very challenging and demanding, but I am grateful for everything it has taught me and now I'm ready for even bigger things."
Robinson attributes part of that motivation to the people around him. Success breeds success and he said he's had the opportunity to learn from some very driven individuals who have shown him what it means to put in work.
"The technical and professional skills that I have learned from military training and all of the responsibilities I've had while in uniform will help set me up for my future," Robinson said. "The pilots I work with are all officers and are held to an even higher standard. They become aircraft commanders and are overall responsible for the aircraft that they fly and the air crew flying with them. Some of the pilots have been huge role models for me as they are all college graduates and many of them graduated from the Naval Academy. I attribute a lot of my success to the guidance they've given me and feel much more confident preparing myself for life after the Navy because of them."
Robinson's service has also afforded him the opportunity to see and experience places he otherwise never would have visited. That was never more apparent than during his first port stop in Malaysia.
"It was not your ideal first place or at least not what I imagined," he said. "The city was pretty dirty and it was also the first time an aircraft carrier had dropped anchor there. The ship has a great program that sets up tours for the service members which are amazing. I always made it my mission to do at least one in each country I visited. I did the whitewater rafting trip in the Padas River which was class III and IV currents. The dinky train we rode through the jungle to get there was overfilled with locals so myself and three other guys rode on top of the caboose. The view from there was astonishing, seeing all the villagers living out of huts in the jungle. After the adrenaline rush from the rapids, the local villagers had a meal prepared for us which was delicious and the view was great from the top of the hill. They also supplied us with plenty of Tiger beer."
On the way back from the trip, things took an interesting turn. The train derailed and Robinson was stuck in the jungle without any means of transportation.
"They just kept telling us help was on the way even though we knew they hadn't talked to anyone," he said. "They also made us well aware of the many snakes, including poisonous ones and pythons, as well as the tigers lurking in the jungle around us. There was also a lady walking in heels on the train tracks who eventually sprained her ankle, I don't even think we made it two miles before we stopped to make a fire and hope for someone to find us. About two hours later, the rescue train came to pick us up. The whole experience was a great adventure and I just loved every part of the thrill."
That's Robinson though. He lives for the thrill, whether that's whitewater rafting or working with state-of-the-art military helicopters, and the Navy has granted him that chance. He still has some time to serve before he tackles that next goal, but for now, he's happy where he is.
"I feel absolutely satisfied with my decision to join the Navy," he said. "Even though it's unrealistic, I feel many people should experience what the military has to offer. There are endless experiences I wouldn't have gotten if I hadn't joined the service. There are many things I will miss, especially the camaraderie with my fellow aviators. Throughout the rest of my life, I can see it being very easy to reconnect with squadron buddies everywhere I go. I wouldn't trade the last four and half years for anything, and I look forward to contributing to one more deployment until it's my time to start something new in 2016."
No matter what's up next for Robinson, one thing is certain. It's sure to be a thrill.
Andy Hildebrand may be reached at [email protected].
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