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By John DentonNov. 11, 2014
TORONTO – Serving in the Air Force and Army for 13 years – and taking tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq – taught Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Bill Burgos the drive and discipline that he tries to instill in the Orlando Magic’s players on a daily basis.
When Burgos is conducting training sessions with Magic players, the drills start precisely on time and are usually filled with focus and intensity. Burgos said a lifetime spent serving and being involved with the military gave him the work ethic and attention to detail needed to be successful later in life. Now, while working with an Orlando roster that is the fourth-youngest in the NBA, Burgos tries to provide the structure needed to players who want discipline in their lives.
``The biggest thing where my military background helps me is with the discipline,’’ said Burgos, who is in his second season as the Magic’s Head Strength and Conditioning coach after working on Orlando’s staff from 2009-11 and with the New York Knicks from 2011-13. ``With the Magic, we start on time. I remember one time in the military when I was late for something and it didn’t work out too well for me. I realized not only was I letting myself down, but I was also letting my co-workers down. Even in this setting, there needs to be discipline and structure for the players. We have a lot of young guys, really young like Aaron Gordon who is 19, but they still need structure so that as they get older they will know the right way of doing things.’’
Veterans Day means something special to Burgos because of his family history in the military. A self-described ``Army brat,’’ Burgos was born in Weisbaden, West Germany while his father, William, was serving in the U.S. Army. William started out in the infantry, but later became a medic and was stationed at Walter Reed Hospital in Maryland, Also, Burgos’ grandfather, Victor, fought in the Korea War with the U.S. Army.
``Veterans Day means a great deal to me because it’s a big part of my heritage in a sense,’’ Bill said. ``My grandfather was in the military and they called them, `The Boriqueneers’ when they were fighting in Korea. And with my dad and I being in the military as well, it’s a big part of our family. We understand that a lot of people have sacrificed their lives for the freedom of others. It means a lot to me know that I was a part of that.’’
With the Magic in Toronto to face the Raptors tonight, coach Jacque Vaughn said that anything that citizens can do to honor and remember those in the military is needed because of the sacrifices they have made.
``(Veteran’s Day) is a time of reflection for the many men and women who have sacrificed for an unbelievable service,’’ Vaughn said. ``When you are talking about unselfish acts, that’s the ultimate unselfish act. So anytime you get a chance to say thank you, it’s well-deserved.’’
Burgos joined the Air Force on March 24, 1994 – yes, he knows the date by heart – as a means of supporting his family and he eventually became a law enforcement officer in the service. He was later in the Air Force reserves as an emergency medical technician from 1998-2001.
He joined the Army in 2001, so that he could continue to support his family while also getting a college degree. But life changed dramatically following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. In early 2002, he was deployed to Afghanistan for seven months where he worked as a petroleum specialist who refilled combat vehicles.
When the campaign in the Middle East was just beginning Burgos was part of a convoy of military vehicles that drove 60 hours from Kuwait to Mosul, Afghanistan. He said his unit was fired upon ``plenty of times,’’ and he said he unfortunately had to witness lots of bloodshed and fighting.
``It was crazy at times and I saw a lot of things, and I’m not going to lie that I got almost numb to it after a while,’’ Burgos said. ``One time, there was a 13-year-old kid who threw a grenade into a police station. I was a part of the unit helping the people injured. And I remember doing the (breathing) mask while the doctors were trying to revive some of these guys. I also helped out with the recovery tent. And they brought in the kid who threw the bomb and they were trying to revive him but he passed.’’
From time to time, Burgos also went on Humanitarian Missions and while there he worked to teach Afghan children how to play baseball. Burgos also painted a mural along a wall in Afghanistan that was shot by Getty Images and featured in Life Magazine.
Back at Fort Campbell, Ky. following his missions in Afghanistan, Burgos and his company was deployed to Iraq just four months later. ``I remember them telling us, `Hey, you did such a good job in Afghanistan that we’re sending you to Iraq,’’’ Burgos remembered.
Burgos was deployed for 11 months during ``Operation: Iraqi Freedom’’ and he eventually got back to America safe and sound. He was ultimately able to get the college education he was seeking and he graduated from Austin Peay State University in 2006 with a degree in Exercise Science. He followed that up with two Master’s degrees in Exercise Science and later Human Movement.
Again, Burgos said none of his pursuit for higher learning would have been possible without the help of the military.
``All of the benefits that the military provided and the schooling and the discipline they instilled in me, it helped to shape me into the person that I am today,’’ he said.
Who Burgos is today is a caring, but firm person who pushes players to try and get the most out of their bodies. Magic players such as Nikola Vucevic, Maurice Harkless and Channing Frye have mentioned repeatedly how Burgos has helped them add strength, improve their conditioning or recover quickly from injuries.
Burgos said players are somewhat shocked when he tells them about his experiences in the military and during war-time. He said his military background gives him instant credibility with the players, and it also helps him in bringing some perspective to those who work and play in the NBA.
``Guys on our team that I talk to have a lot of respect for what I’ve done in the military. Just talking to (veteran shooting guard) Willie (Green), he has so much respect for people who have served in our military,’’ Burgos said. ``I think what I’ve been through helps me see things differently in my job with the Magic. When I came back from overseas, I realized how much I took things for granted before – even like toothpaste and simple things in life that I didn’t think was such a big deal. Sharing some of my stories with the players on our team, I think it helps give them some perspective sometimes.’’