Tag: military life
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Trying to Be the Man of the House
Most people who know me know the military stories. They know about Afghanistan and Iraq. They know about deployments, firefights, and the years I spent in the Army. What they usually don’t know is much about the life that came before the uniform. They don’t know the kid from Las Vegas. The teenager who spent…
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What Do You Call Someone Who’s Been a Lot of People?
When I was a kid, almost nobody called me by my first name.It wasn’t personal—it was practical. Common name. Too many of us in every class. So the name always came with a qualifier. Mike G. Blonde Mike. White Mike. The name alone wasn’t enough to point to a person.As a teenager, the names changed.…
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A Different Assignment – A Different Fate
Today marks a day I can never forget. Twenty three years ago, the squad I was in before we deployed, hit an AT mine. I was moved to weapons squad as soon as I got in country. I’ve carried the weight of that randomness, the loss of my team, and the disillusionment that followed. I…
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Life after door kicking. 