The Idea For a Book - part 8

When I deployed to Iraq in 2005 I knew I wanted to write a book.  I wasn't sure at the time what it would look like, or how it would start or how it would end.  As I have mentioned in the past, I was interested in writing a novel, of course all those ideas are fiction and even though I got a few off the ground and placed some words on paper, they never took off.  While deployed I kept a journal, it was the first time I ever kept a journal on a regular basis.  I couldn't write every day, but I tried to write at the least every other day.  My initial idea through three months of stateside pre-deployment training was to create a book that detailed the deployment, but focused more on the intriguing characters that made up my company.  Unfortunately, once we arrived in country my company was split into four different teams and sent to different locations throughout the country.  So that idea died, but I continued to write in my journal, logging the interesting life we lived, and also chronicling the boring times which were a-plenty. 


I always thought when I returned home to my wife and kids that I would be the same person.  I thought I was too old and experienced to let anything I experienced affect me in any way.  I maintained this attitude well into the post-deployment era of my life.  I was oblivious to what was truly happening inside my mind, even though it was obvious to my loved ones.  I will spare details, but again, as I have said before, those details are in my book. 


So, with the struggles of returning and reflecting on how that time affected my family, it was clear what I should write about.  I should simply chronicle my life, pre-Army, through my enlistment, through my deployment, through the post-deployment chaos and explain what I feel is the true burden of a service members sacrifice.  That is what I hope I accomplished, and while doing that, give the reader an experience of the lives other than combat arms in a combat zone.  We have all read the various books written by Navy Seals.  For good reason, they are true heroes and patriots and deserve credit beyond what I feel I could ever warrant for my service.  They are true studs, their job is beyond "sexy," the term we tend to attach to the dangerous and dirty combat forces job during war, they define warrior to the T.  So buy and read their books, they are worth the price of admission and give a glimpse into what a true warrior's life is like.


I did not post this video on youtube, however, I did make it, but shared it only with those on my team following deployment.  It was never meant for public viewing or scrutiny.  I can say many years later, the 30th Medical Brigade made decisions in the best interest of all parties.  There still remains only speculation as to why the mortars started to drop on CSC Scania after 6 months of peace.  It could have been coincidence, but we will never truly know.

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God bless the USA!