Looking Back

Looking back at this last semester, I really didn't want to do the 20% project. I was thinking oh great, a huge thing that will take all my time up. I didn't choose a subject until very last minute and didn't really act on it right away. I had dragged my feet starting out, then I gained momentum, started writing, and coding almost every day.  Hours on end, just in front of the computer, probably a better way to spend a day, but I was enjoying it.

I wasn't incredibly nervous with my first interview, mostly because I knew the guy, Zachary Tinlin, a US Marine Machine Gun section team leader. I talk with him a lot about the Marines, I have learned most of what I know from him. Like what to do in an ambush, what a buddy team rush is, how to properly assault a town, where to position support units to get the most use. I love every second of it, absorbing it all. I probably couldn't forget if I wanted to.

With talking to other veterans, I learned a lot about what they had to go through in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran. Those places were living hells. Every corner a potential firefight, every building a possible kill house, every rooftop a enemy sniper. Their nerves were fried everyday, they were never off guard, hardly slept, no showers for weeks, boiling temperatures. The only thing that kept them going was coming home. They fought for their family back home, and for the soldier next to them, most of them joined to serve their country, but when all hell breaks lose, flags don't matter, nations don't matter, all that matters is that they keep each other alive.

I have learned so much from this project, more than I ever thought I would. It is awesome to attend a school that enables us to do these sorts of things. Thank you Shasta Charter for another awesome school year. That said, I am glad it is over!