Reflection On Marines Enlistment

Over the past thirteen years, many United States Marines have joined the Marine Corps with hopes of being deployed to a combat zone, and unfortunately, remain in the United States for the duration of their enlistment. I enlisted for the sole purpose and intent to deploy to Afghanistan, specifically, so I could partake in the efforts of bringing to justice the organization that attacked our country on September 11, 2001. I was fortunate enough to be one of the Marines that were scheduled to deploy within a year of being stationed at Camp Lejeune, NC. At the time of my enlistment in June of 2008, I never considered the level of emotions, more specifically-anxiety and excitement-I would experience during the final days leading up to my first debarkation …show more content…
The ability to watch various movies eliminated the monotony of just sitting there waiting as well as occupying my mind with something more than the foreboding thoughts building the level of anxiety within me. The day prior, to say the very least, was exhausting both physically and emotionally. It was toward the top of my list of anxiety ridden days. As we got closer to our refueling point in England I got excited to get off of the plane and give my legs a well needed stretch. Being crammed in a row of three seats filled with Marines and their gear-because all of our weapons had to be placed under our seats-was enough to cramp anyone’s body, especially legs. The sense of joy to finally get up and move around after we landed was enough to take away any level of unease I might have been feeling. I was able to explore the airport and get some fresh air, as fresh as one can get in an outdoor smoking area, during the hour and a half that we had while the plane was refueled. Finally being able to stretch my legs wasn’t the only reason for my excitement; I had never been to a foreign country, aside from Canada, before in my life! When I discovered earlier in the month we would be stopping in England to refuel, I was ecstatic. Even though it was for a short period of time and we couldn’t leave the airport and truly explore the country, it was …show more content…
This would be my first experience flying on a military aircraft; my mind raced with memories from high school when I dreamed of boarding the plane that would take me into the combat zone. It was a surreal moment. At the same time, the consistent realization of my mortality was ever present in my mind. The flight would take roughly two to three hours to fly us to our final destination in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. There was no sleeping on this flight; my mind was racing a thousand miles per hour. The unknown can make someone get lost in their own mind easily. I was doing everything I could to find a sense of peace, calmness and tranquility amongst the chaos inside my head. Before I knew it we were instructed to take our seats and fasten our belts in preparation for our combat drop. I had only heard stories about what it was like and it lived up to the expectation I had created. It was as intense as plunging toward the earth from the first peak on a roller coaster. It was enough to eviscerate any and all angst and replace it with an adrenaline rush capable of refocusing my mind solely on pure motivation stimulating the long lasting memory of the events that occurred on September 11, 2001. Regardless of the pure anxiety, apprehension, angst, frustration, irritation or anger I might have felt during the day of my departure, the refueling stop