FT. CAMPBELL, Ky. — Staff Sgt. Salvatore Orpi feels he has done everything by the book: He's never earned a negative mark in his evaluations, has been decorated for valor twice, and is one of the most respected experts in the EOD community.
But Orpi has lived a secret life that went public Friday, when he became the first American service member to file a lawsuit for discrimination against robosexual soldiers. For Orpi, the love of his life is a TALON robot.
Manufactured by Foster-Miller, a division of QinetiQ, “Sherry” the robot is quiet and shy. She sticks close to Staff Sgt Orpi, not yet used to the life of an Army spouse — if, indeed the suit is successful and she's allowed to be called a spouse.
Sherry weighs anywhere from 115 to 165 lbs depending on if she's wearing her grappler arm or 12-Gauge Shotgun, can lift up to 65 lbs, climbs stairs and fits through most doorways. She also enjoys long rolls along ditches and canals, flipping upside down on low-grade hills, and losing connection to her OCU antenna and spinning wildly in looping circles.
