While sitting in a C-17 aircraft with an M4 in my hand and a full ruck of battle gear under my foot, I realize I am going into war for real. Even with the extremely loud airplane engine screaming in my ears, I can’t stop thinking how only three weeks ago my life had suddenly taken a drastic turn. It feels like a dream, yet it is so real.
Thinking back, I could see a fresh new soldier just comes out of training standing in front of an in-processing desk with a lot of expectations about his new unit. This soldier is me. A Sergeant comes out from the office and checks my documents, saying, “How you doing buddy. Welcome to 10th mountain light infantry Div. By the way, you know you are deploying, right?” I stand there with both eyes wide open for …show more content…
“Full body search for bomb, if clear keep two man with them and escort to our medics, out.” I heard the radio. I picked up my gun, and ran to the gate. A old Afghan man that looked like the girl’s grandfather in a dirty white traditional Afghan cloth and grown a long gray beard stood there with his hand up into the air were getting search while a little girl who was around 8 years old was just sitting next to his left feet holding his leg. After they had done searching, me and another soldier took them to the medics with the interpreter. “Land mine, Land mine, went off. Girl play around there. Her leg hurts.” He translated while hold his hands as a round circle. “A girl played in a wrong area at the wrong time, triggered a land mine. At least she still have her leg and now she is lucky she is here.” I thought in my head. Our medics checked her really quick. “You should come to us earlier. Now the infection has spread. We have to take her to a hospital and cut the leg off to save her life.” One female medic officer said to them. I looked away, tried not to think what the girl’s life would become if she lost one leg. “Poor girl.” I whispered to another
Thinking back, I could see a fresh new soldier just comes out of training standing in front of an in-processing desk with a lot of expectations about his new unit. This soldier is me. A Sergeant comes out from the office and checks my documents, saying, “How you doing buddy. Welcome to 10th mountain light infantry Div. By the way, you know you are deploying, right?” I stand there with both eyes wide open for …show more content…
“Full body search for bomb, if clear keep two man with them and escort to our medics, out.” I heard the radio. I picked up my gun, and ran to the gate. A old Afghan man that looked like the girl’s grandfather in a dirty white traditional Afghan cloth and grown a long gray beard stood there with his hand up into the air were getting search while a little girl who was around 8 years old was just sitting next to his left feet holding his leg. After they had done searching, me and another soldier took them to the medics with the interpreter. “Land mine, Land mine, went off. Girl play around there. Her leg hurts.” He translated while hold his hands as a round circle. “A girl played in a wrong area at the wrong time, triggered a land mine. At least she still have her leg and now she is lucky she is here.” I thought in my head. Our medics checked her really quick. “You should come to us earlier. Now the infection has spread. We have to take her to a hospital and cut the leg off to save her life.” One female medic officer said to them. I looked away, tried not to think what the girl’s life would become if she lost one leg. “Poor girl.” I whispered to another