Journal 27

As Americans, I believe that we are very fortunate to have brave men and women who are willing to sacrifice their own lives in order to defend our country.  Such disposition is truly admirable.  Thinking about this, I pondered how I would feel in their shoes- being miles away from home defending my country.  It might be easy to say, and perhaps even believe, that you would not be scared and would choose to die a hero without any second thoughts.  While many service men and women are willing to do, and many have done, the latter, that does not mean that they are machines with no feelings or sense of danger.  If in a risky situation, I believe that they recognize the threat and sometimes perhaps may become a bit nervous.  It is their character that helps them push past this to fight for what they believe in.  I can only imagine being in their position.  Even if they are not in an area of high level threats, they still give up so much.  Many have family and friends that they leave behind.  Due to the distance, communication is limited.  To take away some of the loneliness, their comrades often become like a second family to them.  Personally, since I am not an extremely sociable person, I would probably be able to last a deployment in terms of being away from family and friends, although it would be very lonely. Soldiers also have to undergo lots of training and exercises to stay in top shape.  I felt like I was about to die after doing one hundred burpees at the end of track practice a couple of years ago.  Nothing but determination kept me going and I am sure that it is likewise with the much more difficult training that is given in the military.  All in all, I believe that while being far away from home in an unfamiliar land would carry a bit of uncertainty, loneliness, and a multitude of other feelings, it is a soldier’s willpower to defend his or her country that enables them to keep going.