Personal Experience : My Experience In The Military

I, Cpl Nathaniel K. Bouffard was born on June 15, 1996 in Burlington, Vermont. Where I then went to Flynn Elementary School from kindergarten to 5th grade. After that I went to City Middle school. Then for high school I went to Bellows Free Academy, where I graduate from. I decided to join the Marine Corps half way through my senior year in high school. I decided I was not ready for college, I figured I would be focusing more on social life then schooling. So I thought the military was the best option. I chose the Marine Corps over all the other branches because in my eyes and to this day the Corps is the elite fighting force of the world. I also am a fourth generation Marine in my family my great grandfather was a Sergeant in the Marine corps in WWII. My grandfather was a Sergeant during the Korean War, he later changed branches into the Airforce and retired as a Chief Master Sergeant. His brother my great uncle was a Marine Sergeant during the Korean War as

Although my military service was brief, it was impactful and changed the trajectory of my life for the better. It enlightened me to a multitude of issues affecting people across the globe and in our nation. I witnessed the caliber of

My initial interest in naval service came from the death of my grandfather. I never truly understood his service to my country because I was too young comprehend, but as I learned of his heroic contributions, I got a burning desire to want to serve as well. My grandfather had fought in WWII as an anti-aircraft gunner in the Philippines alongside the US Navy. He just barely took down an enemy ZERO before it came in on a strafing run on his base. When I became aware of his military history I was astounded and my grandfather instantly became one of the greatest influences in my desire to serve. He stood out to me as someone with honor, duty, and loyalty and never backed down from a challenge. He loved his country and risked everything for it and

The moment I enlisted in the Marine Corps 14 October 2013, furthering my undergraduate education was put on hold for sometime. I have serve 2 years and 3 months active duty, recent opportunities have arisen allowing me to enroll at Cal State University, San Marcos for Spring 2016 semester. Yes, I am United States Marines, but I care for more than just my fellow marine; I am involve with the community. My current duty station is Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, CA. Every weekend, I volunteer my time at the PegasusRising Project and take care of 14 arabian horses as part of helping Veterans and their families reintegrate back into society. I would like to use this scholarship to help further my education and continue not only serving my country

Joining the United States Army was the most profound decision of my lifetime. Experiencing life, the world, and combat through the mind and eyes of a soldier has influenced me in ways that I had never conceived. These transformations, before, during, and after my military service have ultimately shaped me into the man I am today. I do believe that if I had chosen not to join the Army, today I would be a totally different person with completely different views and opinions. Joining the United States Fighting forces is a decision that no one should take lightly.

I joined the Marine Corps looking for a challenge. I wanted to open doors for a new career and longed to have a positive impact on the world around me. Looking back five years later, I realize I found all that I originally sought, but I’ve also found something profoundly satisfying and meaningful that I never knew I was missing.

Growing up in a military family taught me valuable life lessons. My father served in the Navy for twenty-five years, following in the footsteps of his father and older brother. All held different positions within the Navy during their lifelong careers, but each was able to impart the wisdom he accumulated through a career in the military. I learned the honor and importance of not only serving my country, but giving back to the community and being of service to those around me.

We (my family) are very proud of our country, so serving is something that is very important to us. I did not think twice about signing on the dotted line. The military did its part by taking care of my family growing up as a young child; I felt I had to give back.

My darkest hour was also the moment I became a man. When all my years of training, all the blood, sweat, and tears of running, aiming, skills training, and hand to hand combat had finally been put to the test. My first kill. It wasn’t a proud moment but it was one on necessity and choice that I’ve played over and over again and I still get the same result. It would have gone exactly the same.

My connection to the Marine Corps is through my father, TerCraig Edwards and his service in the military has influenced my life in more ways than I could have possibly imagined. Some of these influences have been positive, while others have been negative. Prior to my senior year of high school, I viewed my father and his decision to join the United States Marine Corps as selfish. Growing up as a child, I witnessed my younger brother, Rashaad, cry himself to sleep on numerous occasions because he thought our dad would never return home from deployment. He kept a picture and a letter from our dad in his closet, on the wall and that's where he spent a lot of his free time: wondering if we would ever see our dad again. I would watch the news regularly

“The soldier is the Army. No Army is better than its soldiers. The soldier is also a citizen. In fact, the highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for one’s country” by George S. Patton Jr. There are some people who are brave enough to put their lives on the line for their family and also their country. What happens after the battle that needed to be fought is over though? Do they just go back to their family and live happily ever after? From the outside looking in, one may only see just a man in uniform who fights for our country. They do not see the amount of time these soldiers spend away from their loved ones. They do not see the effects war has on not only them but

The next week was PRT training where we learned about life on the PRT, how to work with the military, how to interact with our Iraqi interlocutors and life in general on a FOB (Forward Operating Base), where I was headed or at the Embassy. There were basic intros into many of the players in Iraq providing assistance, USAID, Department of State efforts, and some of the many projects being undertaken.

There are many experiences that have contributed to my talents, interests, and commitments, but one of the most significant experiences in my life was being a dependent of someone in the U.S. Army. When I was three years old my mom decided to join the Army because she concluded it was the best way at the time that she could earn enough money to take care of me. She gave birth to me at the age of seventeen and she had only strived for a high school diploma. My father was incarcerated and minimum wage was not enough to pay our bills and keep a stable home as a single parent, so I support her decision. Initially, she only enlisted for two years and was immediately sent to Iraq. She had to give guardianship to my grandmother in Pennsylvania who

I’ve been to plenty of states in the US, Kuwait, Germany, Bagram, and Kandahar Afghanistan. I’ve been to plenty of military schools. I’ve had the opportunity to work in a place that was in a movie when I was in Dover Delaware. I gained experience as an autopsy technician there. I’ve worked with medical examiners, FBI, and even NCIS. I don’t know any 23 year olds where I’m from that can say that. I’ve even met and shook hands with President Barack Obama on CNN. The army definitely made my life interesting. The Army gave my family and I something to be proud of. I am blessed to have the opportunity to do what only 1% of Americans are able to

I grew up in a military family. My father was an air force officer who trained others in piloting helicopters. As a young boy, I found this to be very fascinating and I thought I was going to follow in his footsteps. Sadly, he died in a helicopter crash in 1998. He was a very important person in my life that I considered as a mentor. Consequently, I gradually started losing interest in serving in the army. It was a major setback.