Personal Narrative: My Navy Hero

I have been accepted to AFS-USA's international exchange program to Norway. I will be spending my sophomore year living with a host family and going to school at a local upper secondary school. I am awaiting the information regarding where I will be located in Norway, as well as my paperwork for a Norwegian visa. As long as the final stages of my application go through, I will depart this August and return the following July.

One of the main reasons my mum Shawn Meyer is a hero is because she fought in Iraq. She got shipped out there away to Iraq when I was only five years old. She left for eighteen months because of the war, although she was in the navy she was on land and part of intelligence. The navy often used her as a spy because she used to be very tan. My mum only got three visits to come back to America for a week at a time. She was also able to survive a poisonous spider bite overseas.

My uncle, Gary Norder, is my American Hero because of his devotion toward me, and my family, The times he spends with me, and the effort he puts toward to support his family and mine amazes me. My uncle and his brothers started a company called Custom Caulking. The Norder brothers say it's been hard for them, but they still manage to sustain a wealthy business.

Today has been the most eventful day in all my life. I almost got my leg cut off, tried to kill myself, and became a war hero, in line to be promoted to Lieutenant. I cannot remember much from the first battle, in which I almost lost my foot, besides the blinding pain the came during it. I suspect the feeling will not leave me for the rest of my days. Pain so blinding I could not even manage a scream of pain. If was as if lightning had struck me and all the hornets in the world had decides that I was their worst enemy. The torture felt as if it had lasted for hours though only seconds after the attack I passed out and was dragged off of the battlefield. I woke up in the hospital tent, surrounded by bloody knives and surgery instruments, and looked outside to see what was to become my fate, a man hobbling along on one foot, being supported by tree branches alone.

The book I read was I Am a SEAL Team Six Warrior: Memoirs of an American Soldier by Howard E. Wasdin and Stephen Templin. Howard is the main character of the story. The story is about his life, but more importantly it is about how he became a SEAL Team Six member. In order to do this he had to have a lot of admirable qualities. His most admirable quality was his determination to get the job done. It didn’t matter if it was during training or during an actual mission, he did his best to complete what he had started. Howard would be someone that I would want to know. He is caring and doesn’t ever leave a buddy behind. He knows what it is like growing up with a bad father figure, but he perseveres and turns it into fuel to accomplish his goals and dreams.

The day was Thursday, March 9th. The time was 10:45 a.m. It was during my CAD I class, 5th period that I was most excited for my trip to the Navy Surface Warfare Center where I was going to shadow a profession that I was particularly interested in. My dad came to pick me up at around eleven o’clock to take me into Philadelphia to meet up with the man that I was shadowing.

As every business model follows, you grow and change with the times and with the needs of your consumer. The military being in the business of protecting the United States does not escape this designed plan of commerce. Ever changing with the times by incorporating new policies such as ; shorter stays in boot camp, stress cards that give a recruit a 15 min “time out” if they [ the recruit] feel overwhelmed, and taking away all together stress provoking screaming. I ask myself are these changes for the good or the bad when it comes to military service and protecting the freedoms of the United States against all enemies both foreign and domestic? Also, as a Active Duty Sailor, can I trust the sailor standing next to me with my life?

Life at the Academy is rough. There are days the midshipmen will love it and other days when they hate it. Eventually, I understand that the loves out weigh the hates, however, in the beginning, especially during plebe year, it may feel overwhelming to many. Many Naval Academy graduates say the “Naval Academy is a tough place to be, but a great place to be from.” Concerning that, there were some regulations that I only discovered with further observation. Mealtime is an example of those ever so important Naval Academy rituals, demonstrating the unique training program of our military. At all formal meals, plebes only use the front three or four inches of their chairs, sitting at attention, with the exception of the chairs in the academic buildings and plebe/Fourth Class dorm-rooms. Also when walking down corridors they can

Four Native Arabic Speakers 09L volunteered for the mission, showing interest to be part of the last unit to leave Iraq after 8 years of operations in the country. At the time, I was freshly promoted Sergeant. Hence, I became the NCO of the native Arabic speakers 09L. The responsibilities were overwhelming. Nevertheless, the superiors never abandoned me to fail as a Noncommissioned Officer. The Noncommissioned Officer Corps is a non-ending cycle of learning, about the welfare and safety of the

I wasn’t a healthy child. Some of my earliest memories are of my frequent visits to the doctor for a plethora of reasons, from ear infections to asthma to chickenpox, it seems like I dealt with it all as a little boy. I remember some of my early health problems vividly, but I also remember connecting the doctor with feeling better. At this young age I was also confronted with the threat of the death of my father. Mom picked us up early from school one day, and I could see a look of fear on her face as she sped uncharacteristically fast away. “Mom, where are we going?”, I asked. “Your dad is in the hospital, he’s very sick. We are going to see him.”, she replied, choking on her words speaking to her two young children. “WHAT’S WRONG!?”, my

The day was Thursday, March 9th. The time was 10:45 a.m. Amid my engineering class fifth period I was exceedingly enthusiastic about my trip to the Naval Surface Warfare Center where I would shadow a profession that I was particularly interested in. My father picked me up at around eleven o’clock to drive me into Philadelphia to meet up with the man that I was shadowing.

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.

I’m a United States Navy Sailor. I’ve been blessed to partake in countless experiences that I otherwise would not have enjoyed had I not joined the Navy. I also enjoy reading and researching random subjects that I take an interest in. Needless to say, I’ve acquired a great deal of knowledge of the years, some from observation (skydiving), some from participation (Spanish cuisine), and then a little bit of both (pneumonia).

I was initially drawn to the Naval Academy because I want to be a pilot. I have wanted to be a military pilot for a long time, so when I was researching colleges I was drawn to the service academies. I have chosen to apply to the naval academy because I think that it is a great path towards this goal. I also have the goal of strengthening my faith. I believe that attending a school such as the Naval academy and experiencing its challenges will do that.

Several months, I have been tossing the idea about joining the Navy. My family was aware about Navy was possibility option. Recently, I have contacted a Navy Recruiter, and I have not told my family about me talking to a recruiter. My family is important aspect of my life, so the conversation needs to happen sooner than later. When I bring up the Navy conversation, my intention would ease my family in acceptance of their daughter leaving the state. Joining the Navy would impact me and my family, and the impact on my family would tribute to the difficult conversation. In following joining the Navy would impact me and my family, and the impact on my family would tribute to the difficult conversation. Underlie feeling have huge impact on person’s attributions and judgement. A difficult conversation affects the identity of a person. Therefore, intention by the conversation was important.