Reflections on an Odd Life

Afghanistan

I just had a somewhat sad breakfast with my best friend from high school—he’s in the Army, West Point grad, and is about to ship out to Afghanistan with his unit for a deployment of between 12 and 15 months. He’s already been to Iraq for a year (where he came home with a Bronze Star) and his brother, who is two years older, has already been to Afghanistan once and Iraq twice. I can’t imagine what that burden must be like for his family.

This time my friend will be commanding a company of nearly 100 soldiers and I can’t imagine what that burden must be like for him—to keep them all safe for a year in the not-good portion of Afghanistan.

Good luck and godspeed.