Your life will change when you deploy to a third world country to support and defend the United States of America. Each Soldier, Sailor, Airmen, Marine and their families will experience this change in their own way. For many service members, it will give them some insight as to how other people in that country live their daily lives; they may become more humble and appreciate what they have a lot more. They will value the time that they have with their families after being gone for so long. However, for a cocky, arrogant young man I found a new respect for life and a greater understanding as to why you should live it each day to the fullest. I was 14 ½ months into a 15 month deployment when 2nd Platoon received its final mission. Our objective
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When the summer sun would peak over the mountains you could immediately see the heat waves radiating temperatures over 100 degrees from the earths’ surface. Sergeant Ryan Pitts and I were responsible for a nine man group whose mission was to establish a fighting position that would overlook the camp. On the morning of 13 July 2008, before the sun could even outline the mountains in yellowy glow; the unfinished camp of consisting of 45 service members was attacked by over 150 enemy fighters. Enemy fighters, and even the villagers, were positioned along the tops of the mountains and houses that overlooked the camp. For the next few hours it was a barrage of enemy gunfire and explosions that engulfed the entire village. Early in the fight I was wounded by gravel size shrapnel that pierced my entire body; as were many other men that day. The shrapnel, tiny pieces of metal, will penetrate through anything if the explosion is close enough; had lodged itself in both of my knees making movement very difficult. There was a tiny pieces embedded in my face and neck. I remember sitting in the fighting position with Specialist Tyler Stafford with a taste of dry black soot that covered my face and lungs. Tyler and I worked diligently, despite our torn and weak bodies, to keep each other from losing conciseness till help arrived. With the
When the summer sun would peak over the mountains you could immediately see the heat waves radiating temperatures over 100 degrees from the earths’ surface. Sergeant Ryan Pitts and I were responsible for a nine man group whose mission was to establish a fighting position that would overlook the camp. On the morning of 13 July 2008, before the sun could even outline the mountains in yellowy glow; the unfinished camp of consisting of 45 service members was attacked by over 150 enemy fighters. Enemy fighters, and even the villagers, were positioned along the tops of the mountains and houses that overlooked the camp. For the next few hours it was a barrage of enemy gunfire and explosions that engulfed the entire village. Early in the fight I was wounded by gravel size shrapnel that pierced my entire body; as were many other men that day. The shrapnel, tiny pieces of metal, will penetrate through anything if the explosion is close enough; had lodged itself in both of my knees making movement very difficult. There was a tiny pieces embedded in my face and neck. I remember sitting in the fighting position with Specialist Tyler Stafford with a taste of dry black soot that covered my face and lungs. Tyler and I worked diligently, despite our torn and weak bodies, to keep each other from losing conciseness till help arrived. With the