[christianwarrior]

Hello everyone. I'm editing this post because my life has made some dramatic changes and it's been more than a year since I've returned to this forum. Today I am a 35P Arabic Crypto Linguist serving in the CA NG. I have spent the last 6 months doing everything I can to switch to Active Duty Army and on Friday May 17, my luck finally changed for the better. After a lot of drama over PRK surgery, I have finally cleared medical and will be enlisting with an 18X contract without a waiver, obviously, either this week or the next, so long as the contracts don't close. I have learned a lot being in my Guard unit. I've met many great NCO's. Most of them have been in either LRS or LRRP units. A handful have actually had the opportunity to serve as support for SOCOM and have worked along side Rangers and SF soldiers. They've taught me a lot about being a soldier, they helped me to become more humble and understanding of my place in this long food change of service members, and more than anything they've fed my dreams to become a Special Forces soldier. My wife has always been there to push me when it seems all the Administrative BS of being Prior Service is going to keep me down. I've suffered training injuries (I used to have a hard time knowing when to stop) and when I thought I was too young to have what it takes, she reminded me that I want it too bad to give up like such a punk. When I think of what being a soldier means I think of Special Forces. It's not that they're cooler. It's not their beards. It's not their gear. It's not their guns. It's not Call of Duty. It's their commitment. I've been blessed with chance encounters with NCO's from 19th SF and you can just see and hear that they are men who have gone and will continue to go above and beyond the usual. They serve with a kind of distinction that demands respect and acknowledgment that they don't really ask for from anyone else. That's been my experience and my plan is to one day inspire a young man the way I've been inspired by the SF soldiers I'VE met. I plan to one day have the honor of serving with the men who give more than need be for the sake of others. I will go through hell and back for this chance. And I know like many young men I'm here "talking the talk" and that begs the question, can I "walk the walk?" In all honesty I don't know. I train hard both mentally and physically. Every thing I do is aimed to make me a better candidate for SF. All I know is what I repeat to myself when I'm exhausted, "Cast or Tab Rivera. Cast or Tab." Thank you gentlemen. If it's alright with you, I hope to see you soon.