Personal Narrative: Call Of Duty

Four or Five years ago if you were to tell me that I would be confidently applying to the University of Miami I would have laughed. Through high school I did not give much effort and like most of my peers, thought that furthering my education was my only option. Nearing the end of my senior year I started realizing that no noteworthy university would even consider accepting someone like me. As the days ticked away, I applied to a nearby college with an incredibly high acceptance rate and found myself opening an acceptance letter a few weeks later.

Four, maybe five German soldiers surrounded me. They were moving in faster than a pack of starving wolves, and I was their downed prey. There were flying bullets, dark smoke, and explosions everywhere. I was oppressed and knew that this was finally it. All my hard work was about to disappear into a plume of smoke. I commenced raising my rifle, and then in the midst of this chaotic scene there was this ever so subtle giggle over the headset. I look upwards dumbfounded to see a firestorm of bombs hailing all around me, and enveloping my entire section of the battlefield obliterating everything. It was my brother Chase piloting this monstrous desert-sand colored beast of a bomber, which just unleashed utter devastation on the opposing

I play videogames quite a lot. Most of my free time after school is spent indulging myself in the virtual world. Now I'm sure almost every applicant has gamed to some extent, but throughout high school I've taken gaming to a new dimension. I play videogames competitively and I earn money by doing so. I've earned roughly one thousand dollars playing games such as Minecraft, Overwatch, and Call of Duty. Although competitive gaming is now an extremely stable position, I never considered pursuing that path. I do however enjoy the competitive aspect that videogames have to offer as well as the small amount of income I can receive in competing. Those I am close with consider me to me naturally gifted when it comes to video games due to my ability

oals, I thought to myself as I sprinted down the field, ball in my net. The scorching sun beat down on my back, as if trying to slow me down as I passed defender after defender, trying to score that next goal.

It was record breaking temperatures on this July 4th day. Red, white, and blue filling up the stands. Fans and umbrellas protecting spectators from the heat of the sun. It was about game time and I was getting ready to take the field for the last home game. Butterflies in my stomach, but I had to tell myself “it’s just another game”. Even though in my heart I knew it was not just another game.

The most important thing I learned about myself as a Non-Commissioned Officer during multiple deployments happened at the nine month mark of my third deployment. I learned that as a leader you must put yourself in front at all times to ensure the safety and security of your soldiers. I also learned that no matter how difficult the situation, everyone will fall back on the training they received in order to ensure mission success. Extensive training coupled with strong leadership all the way through the Army level are necessary for the accomplishment of some of the most difficult missions.

Baghdad, Iraq is where I was born and raised; I lived there for about 6 years during the most pivotal years of the war. My dad left when I was about 7 months. He went to Lebanon to live for a few years before settling in the United States. My mom took care of me and my siblings. War was going on in Iraq; people walked with a dying heart. Iraq was split into Shiite, Sunni, and Christianity. Sunni and Shiite do not have any issues with one another, but there are people who do not like the Shiites and caused civil strife between the two divisions of Islam. My family is Shiite and we do not believe in a separation between anyone because we are one, they are

I wake up in my plain, old bedroom hoping it would be different but according to the government, control, we all have to have the same bedroom, house, clothes, and pretty much everything is the same. I can’t even complain about how unfair it is or my family would send me off. I honestly have no idea what be sent off is but if that happens again you never see your control again. Everyone assumes it’s death but not me, I have a feeling it’s something different.

It was August 28th 2013 , I knew the next day would be the biggest day of my life. All throughout the week, all I had on my mind was the big game. When I woke up on that Friday morning chills would run through my body a bolt of electricity. Knowing I’m one day away from one of the biggest games of my life. The winner has a spot in the playoffs. I was so excited and anxious that I went for a run around my neighborhood because I was filled with so much energy. When I got back from my run I had a creamy peanut butter and nutella sandwich. The best sandwich I’ve ever conceived to this day. Next thing I had to do was take my shower and get all my stuff prepared for the big game.

No one is more professional than I. I am a noncommissioned officer, a leader of Soldiers. As a noncommissioned officer, I realize that I am a member of a time honored corps, which is known as “The Backbone of the Army”. For over 200 years the Army has served the people of the United States with citizens who have volunteered to serve. Throughout the years one thing has remained the same, the Army has grown, changed and adapted to meet the needs as an ever-changing world.

I was never really good in school. I graduated high school with a 2.15 GPA, and I blame that on my struggle to focus for long periods of time. Furthermore, I struggled with math and science in high school. I failed geometry twice and chemistry once. To overcome these educational barriers, I employ two things I learned in the military: get the task done and get it done right the first time, and hold yourself accountable for your actions.

What game should I get, Daniel thought while in the gaming store. He stored enough money in his piggy bank to get the newest release of Black Ops or Guitar Hero Live. The only thing he did to choose the games was by his usual way of choosing, a coin toss.

My life began in Manhattan, New York in January of the year 1977. I was born to a 21 year old Irish American mother, Catherine Cunningham, and a 60 year old Sicilian American father, Anthony Perniciaro. My parents came from very different backgrounds. My mother’s family was relatively wealthy and affluent. My father was born and raised in Brooklyn. His parents were extremely poor immigrants that were seriously affected by the Great Depression. My father was a bricklayer and an artist when he met my mother, who was just starting her life, being only a few years out of high school.

Most people would say that the summer months are happy and calm. That was always true for me as well, until the summer before my 6th grade year. For the first time I had come face to face with a spirit in my home.

I woke up from a loud knock from my front door. I examined the clock and it read 11:00 p.m. " Seriously!? This is the time the deliverer comes?! ". I trudged down stairs weary in my pajamas. I opened the door only to find the kukuri by it's self from the breeder. " And the person left... Wow, welp it's time to get you in.." As I gazed upon my new kukuri I realized I couldn't fit her through the door. Instead, I took her around to the garage and took her inside.. then realizing I still needed to get through the door to my house. Tired and not wanting to deal with this garbage, I broke the entrance to the home a little more so she could fit in. " I can fix this later.. " I said yawning. The kukuri came into my home and went up stairs quickly.