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This last week in Afghanistan has been one of sadness and time of reflection. We started out our week with news that we lost one of our fellow brothers. I say brother because after experiences like this you all form a special bond. It amazes me that a group of people from all over the state and some from other states, can come together and become so close. That is one of the main reasons I love the military.
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We all joined together and have been looking out for each other. We have all reflected on what is important to us and all seem to have a different outlook on what it is we are doing here. Our memorial service for SPC George Cauley was a great tribute to his service and to the spirit of what kind of person he was. It was a time to remember what he did to defend freedom for his country and people from other countries. I thought about what he did for me and my family and how I will teach my kids that he is a true American hero.
After the service we had a grill out. I brought the ladder golf game that my mom had sent and few guys brought their bean bag board game. Other activities included cribbage, Frisbee, touch football, and some good old socializing. It was a great time to decompress and be with people.
We started our day today by being presented with our “combat patch”. This is a tradition that has been around since the Revolutionary War, started by General George Washington. The Army is the only branch that is authorized to wear a patch on their right sleeve and our unit is the first ones to be authorized to wear our particular patch. (I like history) We were also able to promote some well deserving Soldiers. Again it was nice to be together, to go through an experience with a group of people.
Deployments are hard on a Soldier, their family, their friends, and even the community especially when there is a loss. After the events of this last week I understand a little more about what it means to be in the military. Although many of our experiences are different and we have had different things happen, I know that when I meet someone that has served I always have a friend and something to talk about. There are so many interesting stories out there, I encourage anyone to sit and listen to a Veteran tell them.
After all of this reflection a great thing did happen today. The people from the Outback Steakhouse and Bonefish Grill came to our camp and cooked us one of the most delicious meals that I have eaten since I left the States. It is amazing what one event can do to change the morale of the troops. Everyone in the chow hall was full of smiles and talking about how awesome it was that they did that for us.
Until next time…
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