One of the first skills I learned in the Army was how to shine my black leather boots, though my boot-shining abilities were mediocre at best. Boots are the workhorse of a soldier’s equipment. We say “boots on the ground” to refer to infantry forces who have arrived in some far-off land. Though I didn’t … Read more
I angered my drill instructor, Gunnery Sergeant Coyer. Nearly nine weeks into Officer Candidate School, shit hit the fan. I was tired of wearing my BCGs, glasses so unattractive and cumbersome they were aptly dubbed Birth Control Goggles. I voiced my disdain for them to the gunny in front of the entire class. Coyer immediately … Read more
Note: this piece is written from the perspective of the author’s wife. The clock ticked to 22:00, the colon antagonistically flashing to remind me of each passing second. I sat on the edge of my twin bed, pushed together with his to resemble a king-sized bed, while the musty, sunburned Iraqi dust again settled. Sitting … Read more
2015 was the year I came off active duty. On the day I came home, my flight was scheduled to land at John Wayne Airport in Orange County. This homecoming wasn’t filled with the presence of loved ones or sunshine; instead, I stepped off a three-hour flight from Washington into the late hours of an … Read more
I stand in my living room, dressed in my naval flight suit and boots. My first-born daughter stays in the opposite corner, crying inconsolably. Her sobs and wails shake her tiny two-year-old body, her hair a mess, as she stands away from me, body facing the corner, defiant. She is angry. She is sad. She … Read more
Note: In this narrative, the author appears as the character named “Hilal.” It was a long ride back to Camp Anaconda, a.k.a. Mortaritaville, Iraq. My ears were still ringing from the blast. I was tired, hungry, and needed a shower. But I could only muster up enough energy to break out the laptop and email … Read more
Have you ever felt like life put you in the right place and at the right time? Growing up, I had fun playing hose fights and chucking water-filled grenade balloons at family members. I remember being a little kid sticking my thumb over the copper-brown business end of the hose and spraying everyone in close … Read more
Two weeks into my first deployment, and I still hadn’t pulled the trigger. The outgoing unit was filled with stories of exciting engagements, near misses, and swashbuckling heroism, so I struck out on my first few missions thinking that I was in the Wild West, and that I would be coming back, Winchester out of … Read more
After coming off a flight from Germany to Baltimore, I walked toward my next connection to Los Angeles, feeling that my Air Force career was over. All I wanted was to get home and be reunited with my family. As I waited, I needed to charge my iPod at the charging station nearby. As I … Read more
During my time in Helmand Province, one of the deadliest areas in Afghanistan, my battalion of over 800 highly-trained Marines was tasked with a full-scale counter-insurgency operation. Our work was to be the largest Marine Corps-led helicopter raid since the Vietnam War. There were many ideas on the table about how to do this, including … Read more