Personal Narrative: My Growing Up In Iraq

Everyone knows that a soldier is someone that has made the ultimate sacrifice. By that I mean someone that has gave up being with family and friends to go and help the world. However, being a civilian may be difficult at times, it does not even compare. The responsibilities of a solders can be challenging, rewarding and yet demanding. As a United States Soldier, fighting for our country, both home and abroad, we are considered as a band of brothers, well some may even call it a family whom incorporate the antic of military first, family second and accountability fits into the category as top priority. Within the United States, the importance of keeping our patrons safe and free of any potential threats that can be a risk to safety is also near

Growing up as the son of a career Naval Officer, I have experienced a background that varies greatly from that of an applicant who has grown up in a strictly civilian family. The constant relocation, the exciting places I have lived, and the countless great, unique people I have met, have all contributed that that he unique childhood I have enjoyed. While at times my identity as a military child has made life challenging and difficult, I strongly believe that it has made me a stronger, more adaptable person because I have been molded by past experiences and I don't think that my application would be complete without this information.

The morning of October 8th, 2005 shook my world - both literally and figuratively. A major earthquake devastated the entire region of Northern Pakistan and changed my life forever. Little did I know, when I was woken up by the sound of shattering glass and falling trees, that the scale of destruction would be so catastrophic. As the death toll continued to rise, I changed my inertia and grief into action and altruism. I decided to volunteer at one of the largest hospitals in my city. While watching doctors working tirelessly to save lives, my passion for becoming a doctor grew stronger. The satisfaction and sense of fulfillment I achieved after easing the patient's pain and making them feel better was priceless. This indeed was a defining moment in my life and gave it new direction and purpose. With a new found vigour and determination I entered medical school the same year.

Plenty of people were talking about what had happened, from the soldiers and leadership of 1st Armored Division, to the families waiting for us back in Friedberg, Germany. The incident had even been reported on in the Middle Eastern edition of the Stars and Stripes newspaper, being referred to as a showdown. But not everyone was there. And if it were not for my squads training, cohesiveness, and diligent house search during a mission to check and clear supposedly empty houses in the north eastern sector in the Iraqi town of Tal Afar, it could have been that no one would have ever even known about the guy in the hole in the wall. As it turned out, though, the first house we entered to gain access to the roof in order to pull security for

“Catherine, we have another solider!” yells my mom. Ever since we started building our home the war has moved closer and closer to us. Now we are known as a “hospital” to them. Basically if someone gets injured they come to us and we have to tend to them. Clean up their wounds, aid to their fractures. Nurse them back to health so they can keep fighting. After I heard my mom say that I rushed down the steps of the loft to assist him in. He limping and look like he could just collapse if he didn’t have the other solider to lean on.

With no vision or plan to enter the civilian life and no idea what to do with my life, I still had severe scars of the year in Iraq. There wasn’t a priority or a drive, but however, I did have some responsibility I had a wife and three children. In a desperate move, I attempted to return to the State where I was born as I think about it this may have been some comfort zone. I would send my two new children back home to their state while I attempted to land a job. My first interview would be in Cincinnati as a Retail Manager in a large company. Confident that I had some stability, I couldn’t avoid the heavy drinking or my violent outbursts I would eventually succumb to leaving my wife and two children to find myself in this lost world, which later I regretted. My focus was to leave everything behind and start a new life this would

I used to live in a city called Mosul that was located in the Northern Iraq. In that city, there was a lot of gangs and bad people who broke laws. It was also a city of criminals. Justice was not a major thing in that city. I and my family had to live there because my dad loved his job. Which was working and building churches? I lost my dad when I was seven years old.

I miss my dad. He was so valiant to defend our country in the Vietnam war. Unfortunately, he was the only one who kept me company, since my mom was always working. Recently, a family moved in down the street. We decided to pay them a friendly visit. My mom, being the sweet woman she was, had time to make cookies and bring them to our new neighbors. The lady who answered the door was named Mrs.Kwon. She had escaped with her daughter from the violence and terror in Vietnam. Mrs.Kwon invited us in. I noticed a girl about my age, with coffee colored hair, and a lilting voice.

The year was 2007 and my brother Eric had just returned home from deployment to Iraq and the mood was ecstatic around the house. My dad was welling up with tears, finally being able to see his oldest child returning home from service. Mom was also very happy as well, repeatedly fondling over Eric as soon as he entered the house. Eric and I had always been close, even though there was a decent age gap between us of 15 years. We talked for hours about what his time was like in Iraq and in the military; he seemed open to talking about it even though he witnessed some fairly nightmarish experiences. Eventually I got the bright idea to challenge him to a wrestling match on the lawn even though he had 120 pounds on me. He tried to talk me out of

It was just another ordinary day; no one could have predicted it would turn out the way it did. We were assigned to our usual stretch of desolate open road, mostly calm and quiet; maybe a couple of vehicles would pass by per day. It was my duty to watch over the group on a nearby bridge. It was decided over a coin flip, as it did not involve anything more than sitting in the sun and basking for a couple of hours. It was a favored assignment amongst us; the rest of the group spent the day patrolling up and down the road and checking documents, you know, boring things. Time passes

If you go down, you will find a way to get back up and thank whoever brought you down because he just made you that much stronger.

This was my second deployment and my first deployment to Afghanistan. I had been with 3rd BN 509th for my prior deployment to Iraq and now I was going to be with them again in Afghanistan. I loved being in 509th in Iraq like a lot of units in the 2006-2007 era, lost a lot of people and lived in very austere conditions which in turn I feel brought the unit closer. In preparation for the new deployment to Afghanistan we went to the Nation Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin, CA. Where we were more focused on our job as providing indirect fire. During Iraq we shot mortars for half of the deployment and in preparation for Iraq we shot mortars, but the emphasis for indirect fire was much heavier in preparation for this new deployment.

Last year, I was allowed the privilege to be apart of the REH program. I was able to learn a lot and focus on my future. Up to the point of REH, I’ve done many camps focused on veterinary medicine and human medicine. While in the program, I learned and grew in my knowledge about my future. After completing the REH program, that I found very interesting, I knew I wanted to pressure a career in pediatric surgery. I decided after this program that my passion wasn’t in animals, but I have so much fun dealing with children and surgery. I’ve had a love for science from a young age. I aspire to become a renown surgeon in the Untied States. For when you hear the name, Joshua Lewis, you can know that REH had an effect on my career. Ultimately, I hope

Ever since I could have a clear understanding of the roles doctors play in our society, and to remembering my first doctor's visit I instantly wanted to become one of those woman in a long white coat running around helping patients or performing a procedure. My passion for helping others is something that has empowered me to become a doctor. Because of my passion for helping individuals , my dream of one day becoming a surgeon ,I have decided to further my academic career at Virginia Commonwealth University ( Vcu ) . I plan on attending one of the finest medical schools in Virginia while also maintaining a job and balancing life as a college student and a mother.

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.