I graduated from basic training and Advanced Individual Training in late December of 1994. At that time, Florida’s shores were often littered with the bodies of Haitians fleeing their country. From what I understood, there was a great deal of poverty and suffering under the rule of then President Aristide, there had been a military … Read more
Two big blue eyes stared up at me through a shaggy jumble of bright blonde hair; the rest of the world went quiet. The heat from outside rolled in through the automatic doors as they open and shut to let weary travelers pass through. Elbows and arms jutted through autonomous bodies, grabbing for luggage on … Read more
It is funny to think about the things you carry with you on deployments, to remember the life you left behind. For some, it was a good luck charm or talisman that was given by a loved one. For others, it might have been a picture of a happier time, in a happier place, or … Read more
A poem about mass punishment I hold back my liquor and aggression, when he says, “the fault of one falls on us” Marines swallow logic and expression, the Corps becomes calm and delirious Inside my head, flower petals bloom gray, when darkness falls, colors slowly mutate Alarms sound like death, clocks tick-tock away, … Read more
I still cannot believe it. Week 9 of school and there I was, hanging out in Kansas. I was greeted with sheets of white and cold bursts of wind. It definitely cannot compare to sunny Santa Barbara, but that doesn’t matter. I remember seeing the gate, the one I have many times passed before with … Read more
Roadside bombs, also known as IEDs (improvised explosive devices), were the biggest threat to the U.S. Military during Operation Iraq Freedom III. What follows is an account of what took place in April of 2005, during a sniper insertion leaving FOB Kalsu (Forward Operating Base Kalsu), when a four-vehicle convoy was hit with an IED. … Read more
“It is well that war is so terrible, or we should grow too fond of it.” -Robert E. Lee A stroke of luck, you find a branch of hardwood. It’s straight, still green, rigid but with a little give. Break it off at the base and carry it at your side throughout the day. Clear … Read more
Dear Paul, Today, you’re coming home. We haven’t seen you since your days of being a corporate CPA, living the destiny more often taken by college graduates. Many emotions are coursing through me at this instant. I’m overwhelmed with excitement to see you; I’m scared of how you’ll look; will you act differently around me? … Read more
We were on base before six o’clock. We were so anxious to see Gregory for the first time in months. We had spent the entire evening before listening to the drill sergeants on Lackland AFB, nervously waiting for this morning. After parking, we walked across the base, and lined up along the side of the … Read more
After spending a year at Small Boat Station Pensacola, Florida, conducting search and rescue and minor law enforcement, I was sent to Law Enforcement School. The school presented the ins and outs of past cases in law enforcement. The school covered all the past mistakes and success stories about drug trafficking. What struck a chord … Read more