To you, Trey Birmingham may seem like an ordinary 13-year-old. He is a seventh-grade student at Central Middle School of Coosa County, and enjoys playing basketball and “hanging out” with his friends.

But there is something exceptional about Trey. He recently had the opportunity to meet the president of the United States because of the heroism of his father, Christopher Royal of Eclectic.

On Nov. 5, Royal, a chief warrant officer in the United States Army, was awaiting his fourth deployment to Iraq in the Soldier Readiness Center in Fort Hood, Texas. On this fateful day, an Army psychiatrist opened fire, killing 12 and wounding 31.

Royal was one of the wounded, being shot three times in the lower back. But beforehand, he had thoughts of being able to overpower the gunman, who instead was able to reload his weapon quickly.

Trey was unaware of the situation as it occurred with his father, but a friend called telling him his father had been wounded. Simultaneously, the story was breaking on the national news.

Following the deadly rampage, Royal was granted leave for the weekend to come home. During the visit, he was interviewed by Fox News. He also received a phone call from the commanding general of the Army III Corps requesting Royal once again visit Fort Hood, Texas.

On Nov. 9 Royal, accompanied by Trey, was taken to a waiting room with other soldiers and family members. Trey stood beside the infamous “Phantom Warrior,” a statue symbolizing the III Corps.

Throughout the visit, Royal and Trey were given opportunities to meet and talk with several dignitaries, including Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Mullen presented Trey with not only his professional contact card, but also his cell phone number.

The visit concluded with Royal and Trey meeting President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama. Initially, the two were told no pictures could be taken of the visit, which was disappointing to Trey. However, he was determined to get the picture that is now proudly displayed at Central Middle School.

Royal, Trey, President and Mrs. Obama visited for about 15 minutes. Obama was described as a “normal person” with the exception of the Secret Service agents that protect him. Trey noted during this exciting and rare moment, he strived to “act like a Goodwater boy,” true to his heart without pretenses. During a conversation about basketball, Trey offered to give the president a few of his personal “pointers.” The first lady, however, wanted to know if Trey is doing well in school. His reply was a simple, “Of course!”

By the conversation’s end, Trey was given an invitation to the White House and Pentagon courtesy of President Obama. He is planning this trip for summer 2010.

Trey has been affected by what happened at Fort Hood. The visit to Texas was about three weeks long. Since returning from his visit, Trey has become inspired, creating a project based on the events surrounding Fort Hood. That project is currently on display at Central Middle School.

— Neal is a teacher at Coosa County Middle School