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I Came Home From Iraq 10 Years Ago
I signed up for West Point right after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In that moment, joining the Army and serving seemed like the best thing I could do.
I’d never been to West Point or even talked to anybody in the Army. The only thing I knew were things I’d seen in movies or read in History class.
The four years at West Point were the hardest thing I’d ever done, and I cried with pure joy on graduation day. I spent a year in Army schools after graduation, honing my leadership skills and learning more about military operations.
After graduating West Point, I commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant and arrived to Fort Hood, TX, in the spring of 2007. By April 2008, I was heading to Iraq with my unit.
I was assigned as a Platoon Leader and given the responsibility of leading nearly 30 soldiers. I was 23 and many of the soldiers I was leading were no older than 20. A few of the old timers in my platoon were in their mid-20s or approaching 30.
You don’t think too much about death when you’re 23. Life seems endless and full of possibilities. Going to war makes you acutely aware of just how fragile and short life is.
