Citizen Soldier: An Overview of the Us Military Reserve Forces - Tapa dura

After initially pursuing a career as an enlisted in the US Army Reserves with intentions of only joining for the G. I Bill I never would have never dreamed of even being in the discussion of becoming an officer in the U.S. military. Growing up in rural Springhill, Louisiana as a recipient of welfare the majority of my childhood, to the mystery surrounding who my father was, to coping with the grips of being one of the few families in the Camelot projects of not having a car or house phone, to struggling with trying to identify what purpose I could serve in life, to on, and on, and on with disparaging obstacles. Looking back I think I was angry at the time why I did not have a father figure around or a male role model. After managing to make it out of high school with average grades I enlisted in the Army Reserves. A choice offering a glimmer of hope for me to attend college with the hope of achieving success and at the same time serving my country in the military and the chance get out of Springhill, Louisiana and see the world. Not graduating with honors or being on the Honor Society, or not graduating with a scholarship, being average height and average stature, coupled with being poor, and with no direction in search of adventure, I was ripe for a military recruiter. After graduating from college under the Montgomery G.I. Bill and landing a corporate job as a project manager with a reputable company while simultaneously continuing my career as now a commissioned officer in the reserves, I pondered and paused at my achievements starting with the decision to enlist in the reserves. Furthering my education by getting a graduate degree and then buying a house under the V.A. Home Loan, and deploying to the Middle East, to Egypt in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, and then to Kuwait and finally to Afghanistan, nearing the end of my career of 20 years as a reservist I felt obligated