Global War on Terror

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

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

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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Cpl Lyubov Shtrigel, U.S. Marine Corps (2009-2013)

Cpl Lyubov Shtrigel, U.S. Marine Corps (2009-2013)

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

No one from my family approved nor even believed in me when I signed up for the Marine Corps in late spring of 2008 right around the time the recession hit. As a matter of fact, when it came time to attend the monthly poolie sessions in order to prepare me for bootcamp, my dad adamantly refused to take me there and wouldn’t budge no matter how much I pleaded with him. At that time I had no means of transportation and had just relocated to NC from CA after losing my 3 year job because the company I worked for had filed for bankruptcy. My dad stated that he was not going to contribute to his daughter’s death and that is what he believed would happen to me if I joined the military. His idea of the military was the one he was forced to enlist in 50 years prior as a Ukrainiaan in the Russian army where there were days the soldiers had nothing to subsist on but raw onion and stale black bread, not to mention so many other horrors he experienced there as well. Trying to explain the difference to my dad between his forced service in Russia half a century ago to my voluntary desire to serve in the United States was like talking to a brick wall, literally impossible. However, rather than giving up, I wanted to prove to him, to all of them, that I was my father’s daughter through and through and was made of harder stuff than what they thought I was made of…that I had what it takes to become a Marine and it was not going to necessarily end with my untimely death. Because when theres a will, there is a way, and I found that way.

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CPL Joshua Thigpen, U.S. Army (2002-2014)

CPL Joshua Thigpen, U.S. Army (2002-2014)

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

Brotherhood and Comradery: What I Miss Most From My Military Service.

While I miss many things from my time in the service every day, the element I miss the most is the comradery I shared with those I served with. In the early 2000s, it was a high op-tempo existence. We were constantly mobilized OCONUS, CONUS, and even assisting with things like Hurricane Katrina. We never knew if we would be together, and when several of us would be pulled out for an ad-hoc mission, we didn’t know if it would be the last time we would ever see one another. Yet somehow, we always found our way back together, and some of the most defining characteristics of who I am today came from my time with my brethren in the field. We didn’t squabble over issues that currently tear friends, family, and compatriots apart; we just saw each other as brothers to fight next to and for. When I look back on those days, I don’t remember the fear, I don’t remember the pain, the sweat, the tears of agony, enduring whatever hardship was placed before us next. What I remember is the laughter, the smiles, the extremely cool and unique things we got to do as soldiers together. Whether it be the disciplined execution of elements within our Top Secret ADA Mission in the NCR or us looking out for one another as we shammed out behind a connex, I have never trusted and believed in a group of men to both do their duty with integrity and to look out for me while doing it.

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Does the U.S. Military Really Use Saltpeter to Calm the Urges of Basic Trainees?

Does the U.S. Military Really Use Saltpeter to Calm the Urges of Basic Trainees?

This old legend might be the first military myth new recruits come across, and it might have been around for as long as saltpeter itself. Despite the combined efforts of science, health education, and common sense, somehow, the myth of the military adding saltpeter to the food or beverages in basic training still persists.  History with Using Nitrated Sodium Salts Why would the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, or Marine Corps do such a thing? The legend says they would add saltpeter to any or all of the food served in order to control the sexual urges of its young recruits.  Saltpeter has gone by a number of names, including "nitrated sodium salts" or simply "niter." It is a historically critical component of the black powder used in early firearms. Chemically, it would either be called potassium nitrate or sodium nitrate. Either one is effective in the use of explosives.  What it's not effective at is keeping a large group of 18-22 year-old military recruits from...

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QM3 Nicolette (Nikki) Martinez, U.S. Navy (1990-1994)

QM3 Nicolette (Nikki) Martinez, U.S. Navy (1990-1994)

Where did you go to Boot Camp/ Basic Training? What specific memories do you have of instructors, fellow recruits and any rigorous training?:

I went to boot camp in Orlando, FL beginning September 9, 1990. My company was K106. I had a female and male company commanders. She was very hardcore and much harder on us recruits than he was. He was higher rank. The one specific memory I have is not the happiest. We had one woman who had just made it to the age cut off. She was Filipino and her English wasn’t very good. She was an introvert and her age set her apart from the rest of us as we were mostly 18-20 years old. I’m going to call her Maggie to protect her identity due to the nature of her sad story.

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SGT Glen Sargent, U.S. Army (1999-2012)

SGT Glen Sargent, U.S. Army (1999-2012)

Where did you go to Boot Camp/ Basic Training? What specific memories do you have of instructors, fellow recruits and any rigorous training?:

I joined the Army in 1999 and started my journey in August, heading straight to Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri for boot camp. Arriving there late at night was a jarring experience; the drill sergeant’s yelling as we got off the bus made the reality of my decision immediately clear. The first night was confusing, to say the least. Sharing a bathroom with 40 strangers was a stark departure from the life I knew. Waking up to unfamiliar faces, I felt like a fish out of water. It was chaotic, overwhelming, and the constant uncertainty made every moment tense.

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SGT Marivel Perez, U.S. Army (2001-2011)

SGT Marivel Perez, U.S. Army (2001-2011)

Where did you go to Boot Camp/ Basic Training? What specific memories do you have of instructors, fellow recruits and any rigorous training?:

22 years ago, I was an 18-year-old who had just joined the Army. On 9/10 and 9/11 2001, I was at Fort Jackson, South Carolina conducting my final field training exercise in Basic Training. That morning, after setting up fox holes in the rain, pulling guard duty in the cold, and feeling completely drained from marching to the middle of nowhere the night before, we woke up, and were informed by our Drill Sergeants that our country had been attacked.

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SGT Russell Holmes, U.S. Army (1984-2003)

SGT Russell Holmes, U.S. Army (1984-2003)

Where did you go to Boot Camp/ Basic Training? What specific memories do you have of instructors, fellow recruits and any rigorous training?:

In 1984, FLW MO: We were training ‘Moving under fire”. We’d line up at the edge of the woods, and the first guy would run forward to cover. The first guy then yelled, “Covering!”. The next guy would yell, “Moving!” and run past the first guy and throw himself down at the next cover. He’d settle into a firing position and then yell, “Covering!” The first guy would yell “Moving!’ and run past him to the next cover. Lather, Rinse, Repeat. We were also using the downtime between platoons to enhance CTT skills. Located at this training area was the latrine. There was no running water at the training area, so the latrine was a wooden outhouse. It was about 8 feet wide and 30 feet long, with 10 holes cut out in the bench over the septic pit. It was well-maintained and clean for an outhouse. The stench, however, could lift the roof. Imagine countless soldiers doing their business in there, day in and day out. In Missouri. In August.

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Sgt. 1st Class Alwyn Cashe, U.S. Army (1988–2005)

Sgt. 1st Class Alwyn Cashe, U.S. Army (1988–2005)

Alwyn Cashe personified everything the U.S. Army could possibly want in a Soldier. He was calm, cool, collected, and dedicated not just to the mission. He was dedicated to his men. That dedication would ultimately result in Sgt. Cashe gave up his life to save six others.  The Heroism of Sgt. Alwyn Cashe: Dedication Beyond Duty Cashe was born into a poor family in Oviedo, Florida, in 1970. He joined the U.S. Army 1989 as a Supply Specialist, but by 1993, he was retrained as an infantryman. He served in the Army as a squad leader, a Drill Sergeant, and, ultimately, a Platoon Sergeant. His career included deployments in the 1991 Gulf War, the former Yugoslavia, and the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. But his second deployment to Iraq in 2005 would forever cement his legacy. On October 17, 2005, Cashe was deployed to Salah Ad Din Province, Iraq, with the U.S. Army's 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division. While on a nighttime mounted patrol near Samarra, his Bradley Fighting Vehicle was hit...

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SPC Ruchir Bakshi, U.S. Army (1996-2004)

SPC Ruchir Bakshi, U.S. Army (1996-2004)

What was your favorite bar/ recreational establishment from your Military Service? What do you remember most about this place and do you know if it still exists?:

Amid multiple combat deployments that often felt like an unyielding storm after the horrific events of 9/11/01, the Tiki Bar in Guantanamo Bay (GTMO), Cuba, emerged as a beacon of solace, a slice of civilian pleasure amidst the harsh realities of military life. As soon as I walked into the bar, I felt the lively and energetic atmosphere. It starkly contrasted Afghanistan’s desolate and melancholy landscape, providing me with a much-needed respite from the harsh realities of the real world. Picture a place where time seemed to slow down, where the rustic charm mingled effortlessly with the soothing rhythms of reggae and salsa that danced through the air, creating a harmonious backdrop to the laughter and camaraderie that filled the space.

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We Don’t Want YOU, Uncle Sam by Matthew Weiss

We Don’t Want YOU, Uncle Sam by Matthew Weiss

We Don't Want YOU, Uncle Sam by Matthew Weiss The military's recruiting crisis is at an all-time high in 2023. The U.S. Army, the military's largest branch, is expected to fall short by 15,000 recruits this year. Most of the younger generations the military can get are those who are children of someone who served -- but even that source is threatened.  Other branches are seeing shortfalls, too. The Navy is going to miss its goal by 10,000 recruits; the Air Force will be short 3,000. Only the Marine Corps, the smallest branch, is expected to make its goal. News reports of substandard housing and food shortages don't help, nor do the decades of war, followed by an epidemic of post-traumatic stress disorder and veteran suicide.  All branches are in a quandary about what they can do to make military life more appealing and make Gen-Z consider the military in their future plans. One Marine Corps intelligence officer believes he has the answers and compiled them into a new book, "We Don't...

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Famous Marine Corps Unit: 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines

Famous Marine Corps Unit: 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines

Approximately 800 Marines and Sailors of the "Two Five" comprised of H&S Co, Echo Co, Fox Co, Golf Co, and Weapons Co. are based at MCB Camp Pendleton, California under command of the 1st Marine Division. The 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines is a battalion-level infantry unit composed of Marines and support personnel. Infantry battalions are the basic tactical units that the regiment uses to accomplish its mission of locating, closing with and destroying the enemy by fire and close combat. 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines: Rich History and Service Marines: Together We Served lists 3,104 registered members who had been assigned to this unit as of August 2023, from Col. Abbink to Sgt Zwarka. A superior and reliable summary of the 2/5 from its own lineage history and Marines TWS reads: "The 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines was initially formed in July 1914 and immediately sailed to the Caribbean due to political turmoil in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The battalion returned to the United States...

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