One of the most life-affecting experiences that any person can have is a stint in the military ( as any veteran will attest). I am certainly no exception to this rule. Away from family, friends, and even casual acquaintances, forging new friendships with individuals from every imaginable background was a challenge as well as a necessity. The uncertainties of what the next day, hour, or even moment held was a novel if anxiety-spawning experience. Basic training …showed first 75 words of 1008 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1008 total…air taking more than a couple breaks in between. Nearly a decade later I am no worse for the wear, and, I would like to think, the beneficiary of some much needed maturity. Basic training is one of those experiences that I would not do again, but by the same token, would not take back. And those very same sentiments can be heard in the words of many soldiers, active duty and veteran alike.