#Combat arms hacks 2016 november how to

Those ten percent are more diverse than our US demographics from nearly every walk of life. A tiny number of our population have born and bear the burden of ensuring the peace and freedom we all enjoy. Ten percent of the United States population are either veterans or current service members. They struggle with these memories and the ability to reintegrate into the civilian population. How many lives have changed because of the physical and mental injuries which occurred during their military careers? Twenty-two veterans a day commit suicide because they feel hopeless and lost. About those veterans, service members, and families who do not go a day without being reminded of the loss. I think and read about those men and women who signed the blank check up to and including their life and had it cashed. I think about others who may not have lost their lives but were physically or mentally changed by their experiences. I think about 1st Sgt Harris’ special needs daughter and wife. Every veteran has their own 1st Sgt Harris. Harris, the person he gave his life for, or the men in Charlie Company. During all of this, no day goes by, and I don’t think about 1st Sgt Glenn L. That is how I judged the people I would meet.

#Combat arms hacks 2016 november how to

But, unfortunately, they did not teach us how to find empathy as we left.įor years I thought in a binary of strong vs. What does this have to do with acknowledging veterans throughout the year and not just on Veteran’s Day? The military did an excellent job teaching us how to kill and not empathize with an enemy. Quite possibly the most dangerous tool to learn. In addition to learning how to use weapons, we learned to dehumanize any perceived enemy. During training, we lost our First Seargent to a drowning accident three soldiers from another company during a fast-rope exercise fell 40’ – 50’ through trees, killing one and injuring two severe enough they would be medically discharged.

While this was all training, it was intense. I recall one period of training where we were in garrison for only 3-5 days during three months. Even in garrison during a non-training process, we would find ourselves at a shooting range gaining proficiency in one of the myriads of tools our weapons squad used. Once there, we found ourselves in pretty much a constant training cycle. If I could pass OSUT (One Station Unit Training), consisting of Basic, Advanced Infantry Training, Airborne School, and RIP, I would be well on my way to becoming a US Army Ranger and joining an elite infantry unit. So I went into the military as an 11X with the only guarantee that I would end up in the infantry. I viewed my enlistment as an opportunity to reflect on my life goals. When I left Utah State to join the military, I knew I would return. He threw on a quick recruitment video showing a special operations infantry unit, and we were done. It was the easiest enlistment this guy ever had, I didn’t ask about a bonus, and while I could choose any field I wanted, I told him I would like to be in combat arms. Win-win, right? I visited with his recruiter. He was excited, and if he and I joined under the buddy program, he would also get a bump in rank from Private 1 to Private 2. One weekend in November 1993, I talked to my younger brother and learned he spoke to a recruiter and would be enlisting. I would hear or read about people I served with giving the ultimate sacrifice.

There had been an enormous amount of global unrest, and my decision to pause my education at Utah State and join the military was what I needed to do for my countrymen, family, and myself. A few years after leaving the military, many of my brother and sister service members would see combat. However, when I arrived at my duty station, I quickly learned many of my brothers around me had witnessed battle firsthand the previous year. In other words, the US did not have identified locations where large military units were participating in combat operations. When I enlisted in the US Army, the US was entering a peacetime period (for the most part). So why is it essential to acknowledge veterans throughout the year and not just Veteran’s Day? I want to share a not-so-comfortable part of my military story and encourage other veterans to share their stories. What are these? These are the wins and losses of veterans, what it takes to ensure our freedom, and what it costs.