My high school english teacher said that I noticed the small details in life, I wish it would’ve come in handy in any way than it did on the battlefield when I noticed the look on the medic's face as he examined my best friend. In high school I always found myself in some sort of trouble. Whether it be getting detention for being over an hour late for class, or if I was being suspended for fighting out in the corridor. When I graduated, I found myself hanging out with people that I shouldn't have been with, an abundance of people that I hung around, were either drug dealers or gang member, most times they were both. One day when I was with a few of my friends, there was a shooting over something gang related and I lost my best friend, Anthony. After that night I was determined to do something else with my life. That's when I learned about the military, I went to the local recruitment office and I signed up. I was going to be in the military. Going off the to military was easily the hardest thing I ever did in my life. I left for the military in June of 2016. I had decided to join the Navy, more specifically the Navy SEALS. I was almost through BUDS, that means basic underwater demolition- SEAL training, when I met Hoover. Hoover …show more content…
Hoover was on SEAL team 1 with me and we had now grown pretty close considering the fact that we were both the new guys and the veteran guys didn’t really want much to do with us. When we arrived in Afghanistan, we were placed at a FOB-(Forward Operating Base). We were told that at o’one hundred hours, we would be meeting the rest of the team. We just had enough time to unpack at our bunks and then we’d have to head to the chow hall to meet our team. Luckily Hoover moved fast so I didn’t have to wait for him once I was done unpacking. We walked over to the chow hall and saw the man who led us in and we walked over to
...basketball. After graduating, I was hired by the High School that I graduated from to teach Science and Coach basketball. Then on 1 April I was recalled to active duty to what was to be for only a 30 months period. Then after the 30 months ended
My initial reason to enter the Air Force was a great way to pay for college which turned into a call of duty and a service commitment which has actively allowed me to contribute to the Air Force mission. Thus far I have led a joint force search and rescue effort and a multinational exercise to preserve freedom. As an F-15E instructor WSO and combat mission ready WSO I actively contribute to ensure our freedoms are preserved and the attacks of September 11, 2001 will never happen again.
In November I had finished my sniper training. There was talk of being sent to Africa to help in the desert campaign during our graduation ceremony. I was never more nervous in my life. It was all becoming real; everything I worked for.
When I joined the United States Marine Corps, I knew it would change my life, but I never realized how great those changes would be. I was trained in public affairs as a print and broadcast journalist, and immediately stationed in Okinawa, Japan. Drastic life changes can take a toll both physically and emotionally over time, and it is always important to have a great personal support system to thrive through those times. My senior advisor at the time, Master Gunnery Sgt. (Master Guns) Charles Albrecht, turned out to be one of the best supporters I could ever ask for.
Private first class Pena, Jesus deploying to Iraq. My heart was racing, lungs felt as if they were about to burst out of my chest, and my hands were shaking so rapidly that the paper could be heard from 25 feet away. My name is Staff Sergeant Pena and this is my story of my first combat tour.
Well I have and I’m pretty sure others have too. Everything you do takes effort and courage big or small we all need the self motivation to help us get through our duties. In the community there will be challenges you may be scared of doing, but will have to step up and become a leader for those who look up to you. Personal Courage “Face fear, danger or adversity (physical or moral).” In the army it is more riskier because you are actually risking your own personal safety. In the JROTC program you're facing big decisions and impacts from the school,program, and community. Personal Courage can take a long time to build, but with time and going step by step to break free you will find yourself doing things not only for yourself, but those you never thought of helping in a
The “fortress” is a life that may be hard for others to understand. Military communities do not live the life that most do. They have 5am wakeup calls, most instillations come to a halt at 5pm to honor the flag being lowered, and they enjoy the somber sounds of Taps being played at 9pm. That is what I miss most about living near an instillation. I loved taking that dogs out at 9pm and listening to the coyotes howl while Taps was being played. Life on an instillation is structured, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Structure is something that helps hold things together.
I grew up in a small town and after I graduated high school I wanted more in life than a 9 to 5 job; I wanted to see the world. I had a few friends that had joined the military and had come home to visit with exciting stories about their experiences. I noticed a change in a few of them; they seemed to walk a little taller, maybe act a bit more mature. This, along with the intrigue of life outside of my small town, drew me to consider joining the military. I met a recruiter in Lakeland Florida in July of 1989 and a few months later on September 26th I raised my right hand and took the Oath of Enlistment. I had no idea what I had gotten myself into.
Being a soldier was a really tough life. In the end I hated doing the same thing day after day with no change in sight, I despised the leaders that didn 't take care of their subordinates, and most importantly, I couldn 't lead my soldiers from the front anymore. I 'll be the first one to say that joining the army was the best thing to happen to me. I have grown so much as a person and the lessons I learned are invaluable. In the end I realized the negative factors outweighed any possible benefit I might receive from continued service. It was time for me to
The moment of awareness that made me change my opinion on the world was during my deployment to Kuwait. I realized that there is so much that I take for granted every day without even realizing it. I also realized in that moment that we are so lucky to have the opportunities we do in the United States since not everyone is lucky enough to have them. There are so many great things that we have in America that other countries would be lucky to have.
My parents sensed my troubles and we moved. Adjusting to a new high school took time. It was not easy making new friends and I continued to be lost. These incidents weighed heavily on my mind. My anguished heart refused to see beyond my own woes. A recent disturbing incident changed my purview of life.
What I wish is that at the time that I was joining the military, I knew how to follow my heart. Every instinct in me said, no. My intuition was screaming at me, "Keep searching, there are other ways." I ignored this and pushed forward.
I’m proud of my service; incredibly appreciative of the experiences I have had since joining the Air Force and truly feel what I do makes a difference, Having not known exactly what I would do when I grew up, I candidly cannot think of anything else I would rather do.
Since the time I was young, my grandfather instilled in me a deep respect and love for my country. I learned that we had freedom because many people would put on a uniform and risk their lives for our country to defend it. My grandfather told me about several people in my family who died while in service to this country and from a young age I wanted to be like them. I knew it was important to fight for our freedom and for our wonderful country like the many people in my family before me. My grandfather, who was in the invasion force in Japan during world war two is a big part of why I want to be an Army officer.
...n ejected out of my comfort zone and proven to myself that I am capable of accomplishing my goals, big and small. The Coast Guard has also taught me about accountability and how important it is to maintain an honest attitude with yourself and your shipmates. I have learned that integrity and responsibility are character traits that are vital in maintain honor, respect, and devotion to duty. In my field we rely on each other heavily when situations arise, and I feel that my studies in Sociology have allowed me to look introspectively and observe my weaknesses so I can continue to improve and evolve into a better person that can continue to serve. I feel that my demographics do not embody diversity. Rather, it is my ups and my downs, my experience in the military, and life as an older student that can contribute to the intellectual diversity within the student body.