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Service Reflections of CAPT Gary Bruce, U.S. Coast Guard (1979-2015)

Service Reflections of CAPT Gary Bruce, U.S. Coast Guard (1979-2015)

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I was 18, having just finished a semester of junior college, and just had no clue where I wanted to go in life. My girlfriend broke up with me, so I thought I would join the Marines. But my cousin, who was already a USMC Captain, aviator, and Vietnam veteran, talked to me. He said, “If you join the Marine Corps, I’ll kick your a@#.” Then he laughed and said, “Look, you’d be a fine Marine, but join the Coast Guard or Air Force. They treat their people better.” Having grown up in Florida, being around water and boats all my life, I went to the CG recruiting office in Orlando, FL, where SS1 Gravett signed me up.

PS That girl that broke up with me married me four years later. We’ve been married for over 40 years now. Blessed.

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SGT Zach Pierce, U.S. Army (2002-2008)

SGT Zach Pierce, U.S. Army (2002-2008)

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List the names of old friends you served with, at which locations, and recount what you remember most about them?:

Sgt Forrest Dane Cauthorn: 2/27 Wolfhounds, 25th Infantry; 2004-2007. KIA Iraq 4 Apr 2007. Dane was a lovable teddy bear whose enthusiasm for life was betrayed by his stoic nature. He never yelled; he always related to his soldiers. He was an awesome infantryman but never tried to be a hero or be the most tactically sound person. But he was so good at his job. Dane was never willfully the center of attention, but his presence was always top of mind, and he was always heard. Dane was generally quiet but always had some relatable insight or zinger to send home. He was what kept his father sane and grounded and will be sorely missed until the end of time.

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SrA Diarra McCormick, U.S. Air Force (2011-2015)

SrA Diarra McCormick, U.S. Air Force (2011-2015)

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List the names of old friends you served with, at which locations, and recount what you remember most about them?:

Unbreakable Bonds From Basic Military Training. It amazes me how basic training, hair, food, and running sparked friendships and a long-lasting sisterhood in arms, like the Energizer bunny. I served with Trainee Earleen Aranda and Trainee Sheri Lee Edwards at Lackland Air Force Base for Basic Military Training in 2011. These women had my back no matter what obstacles we faced. I have fond memories of them both.

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LTC Paul Riley, U.S. Army (1990-2014)

LTC Paul Riley, U.S. Army (1990-2014)

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Of all the medals, awards, formal presentations, and qualification badges you received, which one(s) are the most meaningful to you and why?:

My initial battery commander humorously referred to the collection of awards on an Army dress uniform as a ‘sausage.’ The term resonated with my fellow platoon leaders and me, as it vividly captured the mishmash of colors, textures, and symbols resembling a chaotic mosh pit when adorning the chest. During my time in ROTC, cadets sported extensive racks of awards reminiscent of a Russian Field Marshal post-Battle of Moscow, fostering a sense of accomplishment. However, upon graduating college and ROTC, the slate was wiped clean. After completing the Officer Basic Course, new officers were granted the privilege to wear the Army Service Ribbon and the National Defense Service Medal, offering a modest start to their uniform embellishments.

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1SG Randy Jr. Taylor, U.S. Army (2002-2023)

1SG Randy Jr. Taylor, U.S. Army (2002-2023)

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Of all the medals, awards, formal presentations, and qualification badges you received, which one(s) are the most meaningful to you and why?:

From the first day of my arrival at a replacement in Fort Benning in 2002, I waited to go over the hill and start my journey through One Station Unit Training. I silently observed my surroundings and the Army posters and informationals. I often observed a rifle against a rectangular background colored in blue etched in wood and was often positioned as the centerpiece on the walls. As I was brought to formation to receive classes, I would observe this rifle mounted on a rectangular background as a badge worn by my Drill Sergeants. In the Soldier Bay, I would observe this rifle badge in the latrines, in the dining facility, and in the Company Training Area.

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CPL Amber Endrusick, U.S. Army (2000-2009)

CPL Amber Endrusick, U.S. Army (2000-2009)

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Which individual(s) from your time in the military stand out as having had the most positive impact on you and why?:

His positivity and dedication to always doing the most good humanly possible impacted me for the rest of my life. We had some serious cases, hard things to see and deal with; we saw what human beings were capable of doing to each other in their darkest moments. We had rocks thrown at us and crowds begging us when there was nothing we could do. But through it all, Col Gonzalez held firm to his attitude of doing our best, rising above what we thought we could be, and, most importantly, always having faith in goodness.

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War in Afghanistan – The Battle of Kunduz

War in Afghanistan – The Battle of Kunduz

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The Battle of Kunduz took place from April to October 2015 for control of the city of Kunduz, located in northern Afghanistan, with Taliban fighters attempting to displace Afghan security forces. On September 28, 2015, the Taliban forces suddenly overran the city, with government forces retreating outside the city. The capture marked the first time since 2001 that the Taliban had taken control of a major city in Afghanistan. The Afghan government claimed to have largely recaptured Kunduz by October 1, 2015, in a counterattack, although local sources in the city disputed the claim made by government officials. Twelve hospital staff of Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) and ten patients, including three children, were killed on October 3rd by a prolonged series of U.S. airstrikes on Kunduz Trauma Centre, an emergency trauma hospital run by the agency. Thirty-seven people were injured including nineteen staff members The Initial Attack of the Battle of Kunduz The Taliban...

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CMSgt Jerry Shelton, Jr., U.S. Air Force (1983-2013)

CMSgt Jerry Shelton, Jr., U.S. Air Force (1983-2013)

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What personal and professional achievements from your Military service are you most proud of and why?:

Boots on the Ground. Promotion to the Air Force’s highest enlisted rank, Chief Master Sergeant (one percent of the Air Force enlisted structure), certainly tops my list of professional achievements. But it was not the promotion itself that stands out as my most memorable military moment…well, not exactly. Let me explain. In May 2009, my Air Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) flight and I reported for duty at Combined Joint Task Force Paladin, headquartered at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, where our EOD flight was under operational control. Supporting the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division throughout Wardak and Logar Province, our 16 EOD teams resolved 476 improvised explosive device incidents and 103 weapons cache operations, effectively removing over 21,280 pounds of explosives from the battlefield.

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Joining the Braves by Winique Payen

Joining the Braves by Winique Payen

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"Joining the Braves" is a must-read for anyone considering joining the military, especially young Americans and immigrants who want to give back to the United States, as author Winique Payen comes from both backgrounds.  About the Author of Joining the Braves Today, he is a non-commissioned officer in the United States Army who has served multiple deployments overseas and is currently stationed in Tennessee. But Payen started his life in Haiti, where he was born and raised. He came to the U.S. in 2009, but his enlistment was not his first encounter with the U.S. military.  In 1994, the United States invaded Haiti to overthrow the military regime that unseated Haiti's ​​President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who was elected in 1991.  "I saw those guys walk in with pride," Paten recalls in his book. "Everything from their discipline to their honor to their integrity all influenced me greatly… I wanted to see myself standing among those troops." From the day he first saw them, his...

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Marine Corps Mascot Chesty XVI Gets Promoted to Private First Class

Marine Corps Mascot Chesty XVI Gets Promoted to Private First Class

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Like any other Marine, Chesty XVI, the Marine Corps' Devil Dog mascot, has been promoted after six months of honorable, satisfactory service. Unlike every other Marine, Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro dressed him for the event. Chesty XVI and Marine Corps Tradition Chesty XVI is an English bulldog, the mascot of the United States Marine Corps. He took over for his predecessor in a relief and appointment ceremony in May 2022. Lance Cpl. Chesty XV was a little too rambunctious, so the Corps decided to make him a terminal lance after a four-year enlistment. Chesty XV isn't the only mascot who's caused a scene. Sgt. Chesty XIII snarled at Defense Secretary Leon Panetta's golden retriever in 2012. Cpl. Chesty VI was demoted to Private in 1979 for destroying government property and disobeying a direct order. He was NJP-ed a year later for biting two corporals. Chesty II went AWOL on multiple occasions. So far, the Marine Corps says Chesty XVI is a much more disciplined Marine, hence his...

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SFC Leigh Ann Hester, U.S. Army (2001-Present)

SFC Leigh Ann Hester, U.S. Army (2001-Present)

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On the morning of March 20, 2005, then-Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester was tasked with assisting a supply convoy moving east of Baghdad, a job that meant scanning and clearing the route of any improvised explosive devices. She'd done this job countless times before, getting shot at on almost a daily basis and seeing vehicles blown up more times than anyone would like to remember. Leigh Ann Hester Was Cited for Valor in Close Quarter Combat Executing daily patrols as a member of the National Guard's Kentucky-based 617th Military Police Company meant guaranteed exposure to combat, something the Pentagon, until an order was signed in 2013, was not even allowing women to officially engage in as an occupational specialty. "It was that one job where you can get out there and get dirty and be in an infantry-type environment," she told the Tennessean in 2015. "I guess it was one of the more exciting jobs in the military for women when I enlisted, and it still is now." As such, Hester's resolve in the...

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1SG Randy Taylor, Jr., U.S. Army (2002-2023)

1SG Randy Taylor, Jr., U.S. Army (2002-2023)

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What do you miss most about your time in the service and what made this especially significant to you?:

Purpose Is Everything. What I miss most about my time in the service has a lot to do with my purpose in life. A purpose that drove my successes and failures over the past 20 years or so. Each day came and went with a purpose while I served in the Army and this was significant to my own self-development. I joined the Army right after the September 11th attacks and I recall landing in Germany for my first duty station after basic training with nothing more than a backpack of a few personal items, the clothes on my back and a folder with what I was told was “very important-do-not-lose” HQDA assignment orders. My purpose was made clear to me at that point and from the infancy of what would be my career as an Infantryman.

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