My career started on April/15/2014 when I graduated from paratrooper TEX school in Fort Benning GA. It was the best feeling in the world the biggest achievement of my life. And the biggest challenge of my life, because of the 10 mile runs then dropping down in the wet muddy marsh trying not to be seen, then there’s SEAR’s Training, learning how to repel off of a Mountain. And how to survive in the forest eating bugs and other animals. Then there was torcher training, they try really hard to make you quit they don’t want the weak ones. They sleep deprive you. They are not supposed to hit you but they do slap you around a little bit. Then they teach you how to halo dive, that’s where you jump out of a plane at 30,000 feet in the pitch black. I remember graduation marching down the street with 20 of my new closest friends, we started out with about 100 soldiers down to 20 they thinned out the herd a little.

I was on my daily 4 mile run when Staff STG. Morocco pulled up with his jeep and said
“Weir we have your first mission be at the briefing room at 18:00.”
I went straight home and gathered my equipment. When I got to the briefing haul everything was tense and the air was cold, there was a large screen showing pictures of important people that I needed to imbed in my brain. They show the picture of Maria a German reporter that was captured photographing important military operations in North Korea.
“We don’t know if she is dead or alive.
“You’re leaving right away you won’t have any help, we can’t afford to have too many troopers go in at once. Failer is not an option. She has important information about the North Korean military operations. She is being obtained in a remote jungle.”
“Where exactly am I going in Korea?”
“That’s on a need to know basis”
“Yes Sir’
“We will fly you over at 30,000ft it will be a halo dive.”
I’m excited now halo dives are my favorite jumping out of a perfectly good air plane 30,000ft in the b**** black with nothing to see but your neon green gages that tell you how close to the ground you are. The wind rushing past your face, the adrenalin rush is amazing.

“GO! GO! GO!”
I leap out, I felt like the whole world just stopped everything was slow motion making sure that I get in the right position, I can feel the cold morning air rushing past my face it is kind of misty without my mask those tinny droplets of rain would feel like needle’s stabbing at my face. I stare at the ground even though I can’t see it in the pitch black; it feels like I am falling forever. My gage hits 5,000ft and I pull the cord, then a sudden jerk that knocks the breath out of me every time, Takes my straight back up. I try and guide my way to a clear field of grass, the wind is strong so when I land im running full speed to keep up with the parachute not letting it drag me behind. I eventually stop in a flooded marsh. I double checked my gear to make sure all of my equipment is in line. I quickly loaded my m-4 standard issue machine gun, and my Beretta 97 hand gun, and then started on my way. It was still dark outside, the grass had dew dripping from its blades some of the grass ridged enough to cut skin. As I enter the forest I hear gun shots, I drop to the ground and study my surroundings I can hear voices yelling and randomly shooting there weapons they are poorly trained. They seem to be getting closer, there are about 3-4 of them. There is a small army guarding this prison camp. I start making my way to them… they are about 30 yards away… I lie on the ground and wait for the last of the men to walk by. I see him step over the rotten log he takes two more steps then sees me but it’s too late……….Censored……… I hide the 3 bodies under a bush. Then start to make my way to the prison camp. The whole way to the camp was a challenge, a jungle full of vines thick bush and animals that could easily kill you, moving up and down steep ravine. When I get to the camp I surveyed the area there are two guards on the watch tower. And I can see the girl tied by her hands and feet to a large pole in the middle of an open pit, and there is a German Shepard… suddenly I hear twigs cracking behind me, with my knife in hand I flip around censored…..with blood on my face I look at the boy he looks to be only 15 or so. But it was either me or him and I have a job to do.
As I start to make my way through the bush to the girl I am being slowed down by booby traps I almost snagged the first one that I found a thin wire connected to a land mine a couple feet away. The North Koreans are notorious for their booby traps they are very effective. I made it to the back of a shed, I saw the dog staring the girl down any sign of trouble and he would sound the alarm. I needed to find a way to distract the dog, I look at my knife and without thinking I threw the knife at the dog hitting him in the side of the neck the only sound was a quick yip! And he was done. I looked around expecting other to rush in but nothing, I quickly ran over and untied the girl, her wrist were bleeding because of her trying to worm her way out of the tight knots, her face was black and blue from the relentless beatings to her every day. Suddenly I heard a car approaching.
“How many soldiers are there?”
“Um … I don’t know 50-60 Maybe”
“Okay we need to go now run! Follow me this place is booby trapped.”
POP! POP! POP!
I hear bullets whizzing past my head, I drop behind a log on top of Maria and start shooting all of the soldiers in the open. Bang! Bang! Bang! Some of them are only children.
“Maria run south as fast as you can don’t stop for anything about 3 miles south there is a river throw this smoke grenade I am calling the chopper to the drop zone now RUN!!”
She hesitates for a second and says no.
“I don’t have time to argue with you need you to leave “
“I’ll leave when you’re ready to leave.”
“Fine”
Just as I turn around I see troopers repelling out of a chopper surrounding the prison camp. My job here is done they can finish them off. As I get up too get Maria to the chopper I get shot in the shoulder but we keep running down the same trail that got me to the camp we both slipped and fell down a steep ravine and fell in a river.
“I don’t think that they are chasing us anymore”
“Ya well I’ve been in this crap hole long enough lets hurry up and get out of hear.”
“Ha okay lets go”
I can see the open pasture where I first landed I threw the smoke grenade the second that I saw the chopper.
“Maria get down when the chopper lands run to the chopper with me I’ll be behind you”
I can feel the wind from the chopper blowing dirt in my face.
“Let’s go”
We start running to the chopper …BANG!!! I get shot in the back by a sniper I drop to my knees blood is dripping from my mouth I can’t feel my body I can’t hear anything just a buzzing in my ear. I can see Maria crying and screaming. I drop to my back then everything goes blank….
THE END