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When I first deployed in July of last year I told the story of the Vietnam vet who approached me at the Louisville airport and inquired, “Just getting back?” At the time, I shook his hand and I simply replied “Going.” Well, I hope to see the old warrior soon because this time I am coming back – for good. My current command, NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan and my gaining unit, the United States Army Recruiting...read more
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We stand out like American tourists in Afghanistan. Our convoy of two up-armored SUVs skulks through the Kabul traffic cautiously like a tortoise crossing a highway. Our driver, a young Airman, cranes his neck as he maneuvers around Massoud Circle. He slows and swerves to avoid a woman in a blue Burkha crossing the street. She doesn’t acknowledge the near accident and floats by us like a phantom. Our Suburban’s array of antennas and Soldiers in full kit, sitting two...read more
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One would think it would be impossible to put on weight during a deployment, but it’s pretty darn easy. Consider a Meal Ready to Eat, or MRE, contains 1200 calories per package. If you eat the entire contents, three times a day, you consume the equivalent of one pound. On Camp Eggers in Kabul, Afghanistan, we have cafeterias that are open 24 hours a day and, in most cases, they have incredibly tasty selections. You can easily go through a year-long deployment and never eat a...read more
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2LT Cruz was born in Nicaragua to Marina and Jose Cruz. He immigrated to this country at the age of 14 and attended Miami Southridge Senior High School. Upon competing high school, 2LT Cruz enrolled in Miami Dade College as a part time student and earned his Associate in Arts of Architecture. He then transferred to Florida International University. After his 1st semester at FIU, CDT Cruz joined the Florida Army National Guard, completing the Basic Combat Training course at Fort Jackson,...read more
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So There is More to Social Media than Facebook? Apparently So! And the Army is Getting it Right.
March 12, 2012
By: Staff Sergeant Levi Peffer
I think it’s fairly easy to see that the Army uses tools such as Facebook, Twitter, and ArmyStrongStories.com to help interact with potential recruits and help educate the everyday citizen of our country. I have come to see firsthand that this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Army and how it uses social media in a variety of ways, most notably to reach potential recruits. The Army has leveraged these tools in garrison, operational environments, and...read more
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It’s March Madness 2007 in Baghdad. We come off Caughman Range on Forward Operating Base Liberty near the Abu Gharib Palace and the neighborhood of Monsour in Baghdad, Iraq. With the firing stopped we can hear the noontime call for prayer from a nearby mosque. More than the 15 foot concrete wall that surrounds Liberty separate us from the people in Monsour, but for me the stirring rhythm of the call makes the...read more
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I peeped at the race course through an opening I made in my sleeping bag while my car heater took its blissful effect. My eyes fluttered, like a window shutter, between closed and barely open. I came to my car at 4:50 p.m. to get warm. I called my good friend Gary Griffin, one of my running mentors who first put the idea of running for 24 hours into my head. I told him I was still in the race but was taking a break. I hoped I sounded convincing telling him that I would return to the course...read more
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It's been a long time since I posted, but I was recently inspired to start blogging again. This is a great oppurtunity to give people a chance to really understand our experience, what we do, and what all this means to us. This is so important. People need to be able to connect with us and share in our experiences a much as possible. Otherwise, the distance between us and everyone else grows. When that happenns, people don't take us for...read more
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Who is this man carrying our flag? He joined the service for the same reasons American Soldiers do. No one forced him. He volunteered to serve his country. Afghanistan has been at war for 30 years; he is tired of the fighting and wants there to be peace so he can raise a family. Most likely he can barely read. 70% of Afghans are illiterate. He might have gone to religious school or even a public school, but he probably only made it through the...read more
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