Photo By Sgt. Duke Edwards | Sgt. Nicolas Gamble, a bridge crewmember assigned to 497th Multi-Bridge Company, 92nd...... read more read more
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As it moves across the earth, often unnoticed, a sense of calm abruptly transforms into a fierce storm. Dark, ominous clouds begin to fill the sky, heralding the arrival of a roaring thunderstorm—a tornado is forming. The once serene air now swirls with raging winds, creating a violently rotating column of air that extends from the sky down to the ground.
In 1997, a tornado swept through the small mountainous town of Andrews, North Carolina, where a then two-year-old Nicolas Gamble sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) during his second birthday party. The injury left him in a coma for several weeks and unable to walk, talk or write until he was five years old.
"I distinctly remember that it was raining, and the wind became really strong; it was getting crazy," recalled Sgt. Nicolas Gamble, a bridge crewmember assigned to the 497th Multi-Bridge Company, 92nd Engineer Battalion. "I don't know if you've ever seen a tornado on TV, but it's insane. My grandmother, Linda Rhodes, was yelling our names—my older brother, Steven, and my younger brother, Logan. As we started walking towards her, a tree fell over and hit the tree house, and then one of the branches struck me in the head. I was only two years old, and it put me in a coma. It also broke my older brother's leg, but by the grace of God, it didn't hit my little brother."
According to Linda and Steven, in the aftermath of this violent storm, a stranger came to their aid and gave them a ride to a hospital in the neighboring town, Murphy, North Carolina. They would never see this person again.
Following the accident, Gamble developed self-soothing techniques, such as chewing on his shirt, which led to his mom frequently having to buy new ones. He also began to "zone out" and rub his hands together, behaviors that often disrupted his ability to complete schoolwork.
Over the next six years, he participated in physical therapy, attributing his physical and mental breakthroughs to the support of his dedicated physical therapist.
"I believe it only takes one person to recognize that you can improve yourself," said Gamble. "She was that one person who ensured I developed in the right way. She did everything she could to help me become better."
After hours, days, and years of physical therapy, Gamble stopped chewing on his shirt thanks to his physical therapist, who made him non-toxic rubber chew toys. Eventually, this transitioned from chewing and playing with putty to focusing solely on sports.
"Sports replaced me moving my hands and chewing on my shirts," recalled Gamble. "It was a big milestone. My parents saw I was maturing."
While Gamble and his family celebrated a significant milestone in his life, his therapist continued her effort to help Gamble in every way she could.
"She taught me how to write," said Gamble. "I remember when I first started writing. I used to write with both hands. I struggled with it because of my motor skills; I couldn't figure it out. She created a special putty tool before they had 3D printing. This putty fit perfectly in my fingers and helped me learn to write. Because of it, I was able to write; it showed me how to form letters."
Through countless physical therapy sessions, Gamble began to achieve key developmental milestones as a child, allowing him to engage in everyday activities.
"I was happy and proud," said Tammy Valle, Gamble's mother. "In the back of my mind, I always worried. He was so young during the accident that we didn't know how it might affect him as he got older. However, he has accomplished everything he set out to do and met every goal. He has surpassed my concerns."
By age ten, Gamble and his family moved to Clewiston, Florida, where he began wrestling and boxing throughout middle and high school.
"I got picked on a lot, so I needed to learn how to defend myself," recalled Gamble. "I started wrestling and really enjoyed it. Then, I began boxing, and my passion exploded. I love it. I realized that the only thing I'm good at is where I can use my hands and feet in a fighting competition."
Despite being bullied and isolated by his peers growing up, Gamble found a sense of community through martial arts.
"The community is amazing. Everyone wants to improve, and it's all love," said Gamble.
"When I saw him wrestle, he was incredibly talented," Tammy said. "I remember going home and telling Juan, my husband, that wrestling was made for him. It had given him so much confidence, and he blossomed a lot."
By this time, Gamble's family had relocated to Ellijay, Georgia, where they experienced a difficult financial period. With six family members cohabitating in a fifth-wheel trailer, living conditions were challenging.
"We had no running water, no electricity," said Gamble. "We had hit a rough poverty patch."
Undeterred by poverty, Tammy and Juan served as resilience role models for Gamble and his siblings.
"The only thing that kept us together was my mom and dad," Gamble said. "They always told us, 'We're going to get through this.'
Gamble's early life lessons on overcoming adversity, shaped by the tornado accident, his physical therapist, his parents, and their experiences of living in poverty, would soon be put to the test. He found himself in Seattle for work but without a place to stay.
"For two weeks, I slept on a bench in Jennings Memorial Park," said Gamble. "After that, I found an abandoned car near a Safeway and slept there for a month."
Throughout the time Gamble was homeless, his manager, Debbie, knew he was homeless and allowed him to work the night shift, providing him with a warm place to stay during the night.
"I remember walking to the car to sleep in it, and it was towed," said Gamble. "I was so defeated. I had no goal, no purpose, nothing to my name. It's raining, and I have my backpack full of my clothes.
As I walked, I glanced to my left and saw the recruiting offices for the Navy, Army and Marines. I thought to myself that it couldn't be that bad—I would do anything to have a place to sleep. Then, the Army recruiter popped his head out of the office and asked, 'Do you want to join the Army?' I signed the contract that day, and here I am, ten years later."
In 2013, Gamble enlisted in the U.S. Army as a bridge crewmember to become financially stable, find a home and discover his identity. He had a break in service in 2018 but reenlisted in 2022 after the birth of his daughter, Marisol Gamble.
"I realized I needed to go back in the military to never let her ever experience what I experienced at a young age," said Gamble. "She is the number one reason why I'm in college, pursuing a better job, and why I reenlisted. If I can work really hard and succeed in what I'm doing, she'll have a better chance to be what she wants to be."
The roles and responsibilities of a father, coach and non-commissioned officer (NCO) are closely intertwined and hold considerable importance. Each role involves caring for and leading those they are responsible for, creating a safe environment, encouraging open communication, teaching essential skills, building discipline and setting an example through their behaviors and values.
Today, Gamble has taken on multiple responsibilities as a Soldier, an NCO, and a father. Additionally, he has returned to his passion for martial arts by volunteering as the mixed martial arts coach at the 3rd Infantry Division's Combatives gym.
"I love teaching the new generation of people who want to learn martial arts," said Gamble. "I have a passion for helping people learn to be better martial artists."
Gamble has been volunteering at the Combatives gym for two years. Throughout this time, he has led MMA classes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 7 to 8 p.m.
"Sergeant Gamble is irreplaceable," said 1st Sgt. Joseph Bunting, a master combatives instructor and a military police officer with the 385th Military Police Battalion. "He's the most positive person I've ever met. No matter the adversity, he has a way of lighting up the room. He is dedicated to his craft and to taking care of people."
As Gamble's time with his current unit came to an end, he had the opportunity to work closely with his soldiers during their previous field training exercise.
"After they built the raft, they approached me," said Gamble. 'I told them, "Yes, this is the last one I'm doing with you guys.' All four soldiers hugged me and said, 'You're the best NCO I've ever had in my life.' Knowing I made a positive difference in their lives was an incredible feeling. It's not just about doing my job; it's about creating a meaningful impact on the soldiers in my unit."
Certain people will enter pivotal moments of your life and greatly influence how you interact with and treat others, just as they did during Gamble's adolescence. Growing up in poverty and dealing with a TBI, Gamble learned essential life lessons from his parents and physical therapist. These lessons continue to shape how he treats his Soldiers, students, and daughter.
"Growing up in a poor household and receiving love and nourishment from the physical therapist and my family showed me that people need help, guidance and love," said Gamble. "Especially young Soldiers, they need guidance, nurturing and love 100%. I think the first time I ever experienced that was with the physical therapist. It's crazy when you think about it. How could someone love you so much, even if I wasn't her kid? "She knew I was going to move on within a few years, I would never talk to her again, though she still gave me all her attention. I'm the man I am now today, partly because of her."
Rising above poverty, defying expectations from his TBI, and overcoming homelessness, Gamble became an NCO, a father and a coach. He has one piece of advice for those facing a storm, whether literal or figuratively.
"Have faith in something," said Gamble. "Have grit. Bite down on your mouthpiece and keep pushing forward for a bigger purpose. Eventually, whatever you are going through will end, and you will see the top and win.
| Date Taken: | 04.28.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.28.2025 14:20 |
| Story ID: | 496310 |
| Location: | FORT STEWART, GEORGIA, US |
| Hometown: | ANDREWS, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 275 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Surviving the Death Zone: A Narrow Escape with Sgt. Nicolas Gamble, by SGT Duke Edwards, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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