Sam Trautman

Trautman is flown in from Fort Bragg to warn the Hope, Washington, sheriff's department of the extent of Rambo's fighting and survival capabilities once Rambo starts a one-man war against the brutal deputies.[7][8] The officers do not take Trautman's warnings seriously, though Trautman is the only one who can effectively communicate with Rambo. One source notes that Trautman, when describing the situation to the local officials as "a war you can't win", was echoing warnings previously made against continuing involvement in the Vietnam War.[8]

The relationship between the characters differs between the novel and the film. In the novel, it is explained that Rambo had never met Trautman in person, and had only heard Trautman's voice as a constant presence over the loudspeakers of the camp where Rambo was trained.[2]^:194 In the film, it is suggested that Trautman trained Rambo personally, and commanded him directly in Vietnam.[3] At the end of the novel, with both Rambo and Teasle gravely wounded, Trautman shoots Rambo in the head, mercifully killing him.[2]^:188 In the film, however, Trautman stops Rambo from killing Sheriff Teasle, listens to his traumatic war memories and persuades Rambo to surrender.[2]^:195[3]

An alternate ending shot for the film had Trautman preparing to shoot Rambo at the end but unable to go through with it. Rambo then grabs Trautman's hand to force him to shoot, effectively committing suicide.[1]^:238 This ending was scrapped after it did poorly with test audiences.

After Rambo's rampage in First Blood, he was arrested and sentenced to hard labor in a prison quarry. Trautman is now a member of Delta Force and was part of the operation to rescue POWs in Vietnam. Trautman visits Rambo in prison and offers him an opportunity to get out by undertaking a mission. Trautman then uses his influence to have Rambo released from prison to join the mission in the Far East, so that Rambo can get a pardon. Trautman is initially more trusting in Marshall Murdock, the CIA bureaucrat overseeing the mission, than Rambo is, as Rambo catches Murdock in a lie about his service.[2]^:200 When Rambo rescues a POW, Murdock realizes that his war profits may be in jeopardy and forces his people to abort the mission, allowing Rambo to be captured by the Vietnamese and their Soviet Russian allies. Trautman responds angrily, unable to help Rambo, but knowing that Rambo will survive and return for revenge. He argues with Murdock about the situation, warning him of Rambo's anger. After Rambo comes back to the base and gives Murdock an ultimatum to rescue the remaining POWs, Rambo shares a few words with Trautman before leaving, refusing Trautman's efforts to convince Rambo to return to the United States.[2]^:202

Trautman tracks John Rambo down to a Buddhist Monastery in the jungles of Thailand and tries to convince Rambo to join him on a mission in Afghanistan to supply Stinger missiles to the Afghan Mujahideen rebels, fighting the invading Soviet armies. Rambo refuses to join, because he wants to put his violent past behind him and start a new life, and Trautman understands. Trautman undertakes to deliver the shipment himself, but is captured by the Soviets in Afghanistan and Rambo decides to launch a one-man rescue mission into the Russian prison camp so he can get his only friend back home. Once again, Trautman's warnings about Rambo's brutality fall on deaf ears, and Trautman is saved by John. Trautman's role in Rambo III has been described as "a well-meaning, but naive extension of the broken and mismanaged American military system".[9]

The character's fate after Rambo III was never explained in Rambo IV, but because Richard Crenna died before the film was made, it can be assumed that Trautman died between Rambo III and IV. Sylvester Stallone himself explained that the character died the same day Richard Crenna died. Even though Trautman was originally supposed to be replaced by James Brolin, Stallone felt it would be disrespectful to replace Crenna.[9] In the fourth film, Trautman only appeared in flashbacks using archive footage from the previous films. The fourth film is dedicated to Crenna's memory. In the 2019 installment Rambo: Last Blood, the character appears in archival footage during the credits.

Trautman's relationship to Rambo in the book First Blood sharply contrasts that portrayed in the movie of the same name. In the book, Rambo barely remembers Trautman, and in fact, after hearing his voice, he strains to recall him. Trautman then identifies himself as "Director of the school that trained you" over the car radio. In the book, Rambo doesn't reply to him, and, in fact, says to himself, "The Bastard. Turning on your own kind [referencing Trautman's assistance to Teasle]." Their one significant interaction comes at the end of the book, when Trautman tells Teasle that he "took the top of his [Rambo's] head off with this shotgun."

The movie novelizations of Rambo: First Blood Part II and Rambo III were both also written by David Morrell, who insisted on ownership of the characters as part of the negotiations for the sale of the film rights to the first book,[3] and was given more leeway than is typically provided to writers creating novelizations.[10] He provided additional insight into Trautman and Rambo's complex friendship, revealing that Rambo confided his painful childhood memories from his abusive father to Trautman, and states that Trautman has become his real father.

Sam Trautman was featured in the animated series, Rambo: The Force of Freedom, voiced by Alan Oppenheimer. Here, he is not only the commanding officer of Rambo, but also of his allies. He would call in Rambo and his allies to fight the criminal organization S.A.V.A.G.E. led by General Warhawk.[11]

Crenna played Colonel Denton Walters, a parody of Trautman in the 1993 film Hot Shots! Part Deux, a parody of action movies, particularly the Rambo films. As in Rambo III, Crenna plays a mentor to the main character, and Crenna's character is captured and tortured by the enemy, requiring his rescue.[12]

In the Russian TV series, Brigada, the character Sasha asks people who claim to have served in the military (as he had in Afghanistan), "who was your colonel?", in reference to Colonel Trautman.[1]^:225