Photo By Sgt. Jacob Suess | Portrait of Master Sgt. Mitchell Cross, assigned to the 4th Battalion, 70th Armored...... read more read more
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FORT BLISS, Texas -- Olivia Cross had just put her daughter down in bed when she heard her phone ring. She knew her husband was on his way home and wondered why he was calling again. She picked up the phone.
“Hey, love, aren’t you on your way home?” she asked.
But the voice she heard was not her husband's.
“This isn’t love. He’s just been in an accident,” the voice said.
She froze; her heartbeat was the only thing showing signs of life. With a trembling voice, all Olivia asked was, “Is he alive?”
In July 2023, Master Sgt. Mitchell Cross and a friend were riding their motorcycles home from a friend's house when Cross was struck by a vehicle, seriously injuring his leg.
This chapter of Cross’ life began as they rode down Highway Spur 601, in El Paso, Texas, when he noticed headlights on his side of the road. Chalking it up to his eyes playing tricks on him he continued to ride with ease.
He quickly realized the flaw in his thinking and almost instantly was struck by an intoxicated driver traveling on the wrong side of the road.
“I swerved to evade, and at the last minute they cut to the right, explained Cross. The headlight impacted my shin amputating my right leg pretty much above the knee on the spot.”
Although Cross was badly injured and in shock, he remained conscious and applied self-aid. Cross’ friend, along with a passing motorist, quickly joined the fight for Cross’ life and would subsequently place two separate calls: one to the Fort Bliss Military Police and another to El Paso Emergency Medical Services.
“I don’t think I would have been here if I had been by myself,” Cross noted.
The MPs and EMS quickly stabilized Cross, who received treatment at multiple locations before being transferred to an inpatient rehabilitation center.
“There was no infection, so the same surgical team worked on me both times then I was quickly moved from University Medical Center of El Paso,” stated Cross. “It was a terrible experience, but the quality of medical care was astounding.”
During his recovery, Cross received full support from his chain of command at 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division.
“Battalion, brigade and division leadership all visited me while I was at William Beaumont,” he said.
Longtime friend and mentor Command Sgt. Maj. Michael DeLeon, senior enlisted advisor for 1st ABCT, 1st AD, was one of the visitors Cross received during his hospitalization.
“I may have been under the influence of painkillers at the time, but I joked with him saying, ‘It’s okay, I’m just going to San Antonio. I’ll get a leg, and I’ll be right back, then we can deploy,’” Cross said.
Within six weeks at the Center for the Intrepid in San Antonio, Texas, he received his first prosthetic leg. Cross completed physical and occupational therapy rehabilitation exercises each day and learned to walk again.
Adapting to his prosthetic leg and new way of life took several months. Despite his successful recovery efforts, thoughts of medical discharge loomed in the recesses of his mind.
But when his uncertainties bubbled to the surface his wife Olivia’s support and reassuring words would ease his troubled mind.
“I told him, ‘As long as you keep fighting to stay and show the medical board that you're doing everything and can still perform your job, then there’s no issue,’” Olivia explained.
Akin to his wife’s emotional support, Cross attributed his rapid eight-month physical recovery to the insurmountable support he experienced through every step of the process.
Although he quickly adapted to his prostatic leg, he did experience minor struggles adjusting to the new normal at home. But Cross’ daughter, Aurora, made sure to help.
“When Aurora first realized the human body, she went up to him and said, ‘Oh no, your leg! You have a boo-boo,’ and she put bandages on it to make it better,” Olivia mentioned. “Now, she gets worried when his leg isn’t in view, so she goes looking for it. Even though he’s using crutches, she’ll find his leg and say, ‘I found your leg, Daddy.’”
Cross also reunited with his work after returning home and was quickly reminded of his passion for leading Soldiers.
“I’ve always loved working with Soldiers, being a leader and having that sense of purpose,” explained Cross. “That’s what I really wanted back and why I wanted to continue.”
Upon returning to work, he was assigned as the operations sergeant major for 4th Battalion, 70th Armored Regiment, 1st ABCT, 1st AD. Just four months later, he and his unit were sent to Korea for an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise.
“At no point was he deterred; at no point did he say he didn’t want to go,” Command Sgt. Maj. Zachary Crawford, senior enlisted advisor of the 4-70th AR, 1st ABCT, 1st AD, said.
In Korea, Cross ran into DeLeon, who reminded him of what he had joked about in the hospital.
“We were on Rodriguez range, and Deleon said, ‘Remember what you told me 12 months ago?’” Cross said.
They laughed about the irony of the words Cross spoke months earlier and discussed the difficulties associated with the training exercise and his prosthetics.
“The long days and humid conditions were challenging,” Cross stated. “It was the first time I had to manage wearing my prosthetic around the clock to keep pace with the mission.”
Although his dedication to the Army remains, his outlook on service has changed. His injury reshaped his perspective on leadership, making him realize there are multiple paths to becoming a great leader.
As his time in service winds down, he reflects on his service.
“It’s been a long journey, and I look back at all the places I’ve been and the people I’ve worked with, and it does start to get a little nostalgic,” he said.
Now, Cross looks forward to spending more time with his wife and daughter. In the time he has left in the military, he hopes to pass his knowledge along to Soldiers.
“As a tank master gunner, I want to make sure I have the opportunity to pass on that experience for as long as the Army thinks I’m capable,” he said.
His story is a testament to resilience, determination and triumph over hardship. From his youth to the Army training he received, he continues to be an example of servant leadership for his Soldiers and family.
| Date Taken: | 06.11.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.11.2025 06:01 |
| Story ID: | 500290 |
| Location: | FORT BLISS, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 254 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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