Spring Break
Welcome to real life
Chris Topham
Issue date: 9/30/08 Section: Forum
I go into the barber shop, order the usual and watch as the trappings of the everyday world fall past my shoulders and onto the floor. My hair is cut short for two reasons: one is so that I can maintain a decent state of hygiene even after weeks without running water, and two is so that my enemy cannot grab it if I must engage him in hand-to-hand combat...
Up until a few months ago, I was just another student at Oregon State University, plugging away on my degree so I can go on to bigger and better things. However, I received a phone call three months ago that would change my life. I was called by my commander to confirm that our unit was deploying to Iraq for one year starting next May, and that I could wave my education for the next two years to deploy with the unit. It is funny to think as everyone else is preparing for classes to start I am packing my bags to train for war; six months of training await me in the heart of the south at Fort Benning, Ga.
I used to define myself as a 23-year-old non-traditional student at Oregon State University studying communication who splits his time between Greek life and competing on the forensics team. Now my self-image has become something I have spent the last six years cultivating; that of a young officer in the finest Army in the world. You see, I enlisted in the Army when I was seventeen; I enlisted right after the towers fell, because I felt like I had a duty to protect my loved ones even if it meant I would have to put myself in harm's way to do so.
Now, six years later, the sense of duty I have is greater than I could have ever imagined, for not only do I still feel like I owe it to my loved ones to walk the hard road, but I also possess a sense of responsibility towards the soldiers' families to keep their boys safe. The key factor in determining whether I would go to Iraq or not was the knowledge that regardless of my choice in going or not, the war will still be going tomorrow, and my soldiers are willingly placing their lives on the line for someone they've never met.
Up until a few months ago, I was just another student at Oregon State University, plugging away on my degree so I can go on to bigger and better things. However, I received a phone call three months ago that would change my life. I was called by my commander to confirm that our unit was deploying to Iraq for one year starting next May, and that I could wave my education for the next two years to deploy with the unit. It is funny to think as everyone else is preparing for classes to start I am packing my bags to train for war; six months of training await me in the heart of the south at Fort Benning, Ga.
I used to define myself as a 23-year-old non-traditional student at Oregon State University studying communication who splits his time between Greek life and competing on the forensics team. Now my self-image has become something I have spent the last six years cultivating; that of a young officer in the finest Army in the world. You see, I enlisted in the Army when I was seventeen; I enlisted right after the towers fell, because I felt like I had a duty to protect my loved ones even if it meant I would have to put myself in harm's way to do so.
Now, six years later, the sense of duty I have is greater than I could have ever imagined, for not only do I still feel like I owe it to my loved ones to walk the hard road, but I also possess a sense of responsibility towards the soldiers' families to keep their boys safe. The key factor in determining whether I would go to Iraq or not was the knowledge that regardless of my choice in going or not, the war will still be going tomorrow, and my soldiers are willingly placing their lives on the line for someone they've never met.
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Bob Topham
posted 10/08/08 @ 10:13 AM PST
I was very impressed with the depth and quality of the article (9/30) written by Chris. His sense of duty and commitment is a tribute to his self confidence and generosity towards others. (Continued…)
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