Sacrifice, Pride and a Buzz Cut

Ever since I swore into the United States military, I have wanted to see Washington D.C. one more time before the commencement of training. Last week, the opportunity presented itself during a trip to the Northeast. Fortunately, I took advantage and the city has a much different meaning the final day before I commit a significant portion of my life to the numerous symbols in the city

For two days, I walked the city by myself, allowing me to see, think and reflect on the various memorials and government buildings on my own schedule and opinion.

Walking through the museums, exhibits and memorials of the millions who have died sacrificing for our country was a surreal feeling.  I envisioned myself doing the same thing. How would I react?  At one point, all of those servicemen and women were two weeks from starting their military training, not fully knowing what they were getting into either. The surreal feeling occurs when I am actually doing something that happens very infrequently. I often get it when I prepare for a lengthy amount of time for an event and it is finally occurring. There is a pause and a realization that something important is actually, finally, happening.

As I walked through the various memorials, I tried to piece together what those men and women must have gone through during their service. By putting together various books and movies I have read and seen, I tried to recreate their final sacrifices. Imagine life with mortar shells incoming and bullets flying by. Then imagine that just one of those shots could finish your life. I began to realize, with video games and paintball, war is entertainment to my generation. The sacrifices our veterans have made were done knowing there was not a restart button on their own life.

As a kid, you listen to your parents and other people who care about your life as they give you advice. The older you get, the less we listen and begin to think we know better.  I am proud of many of the decisions I have made and believe that my ability and willingness to seek advice from those who have been successful around me has helped improve my decision making, a process not always accepted by those of my generation. On my latest life changing decision of being a pilot in the Air Force, only three or four people have thought it was a dumb choice and they are all my age. I am excited to be doing something millions of people will stand behind. It is a powerful feeling.

I tried to look at the Capitol building, White House and Supreme Court the way I look at the Coliseum in Rome. Not as places to see but of history in the making. There will be a time in the future that many will look upon them the same way we do the museums displaying the past. These are the places deciding if and where I will fight to shape history.


I have been fortunate enough to travel the world and know we live in its best society . While we all take it for granted every day, it wasn't always this way and won't be unless we do something about it. I have never been more ready, physically or mentally, to be one of those people doing something about it.


The hair is cut. The uniforms are pressed. And the journey starts tomorrow. 

 See more pictures from my Washington DC trip here