It’s hard to believe that it has been 13 years since I enlisted in the US Army.  August 22, 2006 is probably a date I will never forget, as it was a true turning point in my life.  I can still remember the night before, being unable to sleep due to all the uncertainty of the upcoming months.  I remember the tears streaming down my mother’s face as she witnessed me growing up in a way she had never imagined.  I remember the rage in my father’s face the day I came home and first told him I had joined the Army.  He couldn’t believe that I had done it, especially without talking to them first.

I remember sitting in the room that morning with 100 other people and giving the following oath:

“I, Shawn Scott, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”

I remember getting off the bus in the middle night being yelled at from a million different directions, calling everyone a sergeant out of sheer fear and ignorance.  I remember the first week of in-processing, going through the variety of stations required to become a soldier.

I remember getting off that cattle truck and the world as I knew it coming to a screeching halt.  I remember standing in the blaring sun for 3 hours with a duffle bag on my back and cradling another to my chest.  I remember the sheer exhaustion of just standing there, listening to drill sergeants bark out orders while sweat poured down my face.

I remember the countless times of getting “smoked”.  I remember all the times when I heard “half left face” and just moaned because I knew what was coming next. I remember the many nights of pulling fire guard, especially when my time fell between 2-4 am.

I remember mail call, the anticipation of getting a letter from home, and the disappointment when my name was never called.  I remember the feeling of joy I experience the first time my name was called and I received an envelope with my name on it.

I remember the morning going into the gas chamber and the feeling of losing total control of my body.  I remember the confidence course and climbing the 50 foot wall with nothing to support me but the fear of falling.

I remember graduation day and the feeling of accomplishment I had for making it through the entire experience.  I remember watching my friends hugging their parents and family members, longing to know how that would feel.

I remember the bus ride from Dallas to Fort Stewart, GA.  I remember stopping at every little town in between over the course of that 36 hour trip.  I remember when I finally arrived and the week that followed with more processing and lots of immunizations.

I remember my first deployment, of all places to go it was Ft. Bliss, TX.  I remember stopping through DFW on the way home and my mom meeting me in the airport and the easter basket she left me with.  I remember the look on her face when she was finally able to see that I was OK and really maturing.

I remember being in the field with the Rangers for a week, unable to bathe or shower.  I remember digging my first foxhole with a handheld shovel.  I remember all the gun ranges and all the stuff I shot and blew up.

I remember the car wreck that changed everything.  I remember driving by the guy that hit us as he pulled over to get beer out of his trunk.  I remember sitting at the light one minute and the big crash the next.  I remember the pain I experienced over the next few weeks as I recuperated from my body absorbing the impact of that crash.

I remember getting the choice to go home or stay, and choosing to come back to Texas.  I remember the long drive home cross country in my new car.  I remember the next 7 years of my time in the reserves.

I remember the phone call from my mom saying I had a letter from the Department of the Army.  I remember her telling me it was my final discharge papers and that I was finally done, in the midst of a brand new war.  I remember the relief.