Chadwick Jordan

Busn 011

03/08/07

reflctive

Bombs were going of all around me that could deafen or blind me if they got to close. The smell of gunpowder and flint was in the air. It was the first 3 months of 2001. And I was crawling threw a 5 foot deep puddle of mud, under bob were If swear that wanted me to bleed to death of die from rust poisoning. Deprived of food and sleep I had to hump an 80-pound backpack 20 miles a day. Looking, smelling, and feeling like road kill this was definitely torture. As I sat there in the middle of wilderness with my rifle above the water and my fellow marines behind trying to get thorough the course, while blocking out the pain of our bloody, blistered trench foot, I asked myself what I got myself into.

I would like to say I entered the m8ilitary because I was a patriotic highly motivated individual, but I know this is not the whole truth. The truth is I entered the military to make my father proud, originally an officer that is now a retired marine. If my dad wasn’t around I believe I still would have joined the military just maybe not this branch. I know this because I fell like in some other countr4ies military service should be mandatory, if not just for a few years. I know the military isn’t for everyone, but I also believe joining is only one-way to find out.

All the torture I went threw, as I liked to call it turned out to be a carefully planned learning and initiation process. I mean some General sat around and planned what you would be doing every minute for 3 months. The first months were marching, physical training and hand to hand combat. The second months was set aside to teach us how to use and master an arsenal of weapons; this also is when I learned that I swim like a fish. The third month was the last but not the least; this was without doubt the hardest month during training. This entire month was spent in the field, humping, and obstacle courses, more marching, navigating, this month was basically supposed to simulate a combat situation. And it did all right.

The knowledge I obtained from the military is priceless. Priceless to me because the things I learned can’t be taught anywhere else buy the military. The military has become a big part of who I am. I use what I have learned in the military every day of my life, and I have become thatch much better of a person. A lot of people don’t realize the wealth of knowledge involved in; the military. Especially in the marines one of our first branches of military, information dates all the way back till the 1700’s you learn things such as discipline, valor and honor. If you go to the military you’re bound to come out a better person.

I can’t begin to recall what the military has done for me or the way I felt when I was done smashing threw these obstacles. I do know if not for the military I would probably be in jail right now. The service provides a lot of opportunities for people who want then. Such as education, experience, and training that is unparalleled anywhere else. Despite all the wealth and knowledge of the most powerful military on the planet, the most valuable experience I came across in the military was the people. The best people I have met or probably ever will meet me met in the military. And to me it is so hard to come across good people. The military was and still is an important part of my life and always will be. Semper Fidelis.