Sgt. Omar “Crispy” Avila
For those who don’t know Crispy, here’s some brief background information. He arrived at his self-imposed nickname after more than 75 percent of his body was burned when the U.S. Army Humvee he was riding in through the streets of Adhamiyah, Iraq hit an IED in 2007. Avila was burned as he climbed atop the burning vehicle to man the mounted machine gun, suppressing the 30-40 enemy that surrounded the American convoy. For his efforts, Avila, of Brownsville, TX, broke both femurs, had part of his right leg amputated, went through more than 100 surgeries (a lot of them painful skin grafts) and was awarded a Purple Heart.
And now, besides competitive powerlifting in the gym, he spends some of his free time hunting, a pastime he started as a teenager when he began dove hunting in Texas. We had a chance recently to talk hunting with Crispy at the SOG booth during the 2019 SHOT Show held in Las Vegas.
“Hunting has always been part of me,” said Crispy. “It’s always been my outlet where I can go and relax and be one with nature and just enjoy the outdoors. For me, getting outside and breathing in fresh air is such a healthy thing to do. It helps me recharge my batteries.”
In the video produced for SOG, Crispy takes hunting two teenage boys who lost their fathers in combat. Both the boys connect on whitetails during the hunt, and there’s footage of that magical moment when the deer transform from “animal” to “meat.”
“When a knife opens and you start the process of cleaning the animal, packing it out, cutting it into cubes or steaks or grinding it up, you’re really starting to get to work,” said Crispy. “It’s the start of patience game. It’s pacing yourself, relaxing, and taking some time to make food that goes to help feeding your family. It comes with a pretty huge responsibility to do things right.”
And Crispy – a decorated combat veteran, a mentor to kids and a motivational speaker – certainly knows a thing or three about doing things right.
