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Personal Narrative: Operation Enduring Freedom

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Growing up on the Eastside of Kansas City was not the greatest of life experiences, but it was here where I had realized that I did not want to fall into the same environmental trap as the others around me had. The streets were filled with people walking around with their pants damn near to their knees, some were breaking and entering homes, others slanged drugs. But seeing this was all I knew, and shortly after I too would became a victim to the drug world. Until one day I was involved in a tragic incident and on that day I told myself that the culture I surrounded myself with was no longer the life for me.
Earlier in life I had met a group of fellas who were just like me. We all enjoyed playing sports, riding bikes, fashion, but most of all …show more content…
Inside I was terrified, I could feel my stomach quiver and my mind went blank. But I refused to show my fear. Once I put on that uniform I was superman reborn. February 12, I arrived in Afghanistan. A total culture shock. No functional electricity, no running water, no restrooms, no stone built houses. How did these people live? Seeing children playing in contaminated water for fun, men struggle to find work while their wives struggle to find food to eat, families freezing at night due to not having heat inside of their mud huts. My heart ached. I had found a new love and more appreciation for the American culture. The American population sometimes takes their glamorous lives for granted. They do not understand how great it is to live within the US and not in a 3rd world country. You have people complaining about the economy, the cost of living, etc., when there’s people fighting to survive to the next day. But this is not the only pain I felt while serving my country. I also endured the pain of being humiliated and having racial slurs thrown at me. There were several times where African American soldiers were forced to clean buildings, mow lawns, and take out the trash while other soldiers were dismissed from work. I’ve been called a house slave on multiple occasions due to my skin complexion and many more. The best memory I have of being racial discriminated

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