James, a senior in high school, found himself sitting in his grey Hyundai Elantra outside a two story building. He was about to make one of the biggest commitments in his short life. He thought he was ready. But he hesitated. The conversation he had with his parents kept replaying in his head.
James mumbled, “Mom, Dad, I need to tell you guys something.”
His father looks away from the television. He said, “Boy, you must be blind! Can’t you see I’m watching the sox game.”
His mother said, “Just let the boy speak Tom.”
James stammered, “Well… I don’t know how else to say this but I think I want to join the Marines, as an officer.”
His father yelled, “What in the h*** are you talking about boy?”
His mother said, “Tom, don’t be so hard on him. But James this is a serious decision and I don’t think you’ve thought this through. You could be sent to Iraq or Afghanistan. You could die...” He was back in his car; he felt butterflies in his stomach. He did not feel quite ready to walk into the recruiting office and announce that he wanted to be a Marine. James knew the soldiers would judge him; exam his slim frame, noting his shaggy hair, and lack of muscles. He thought they would laugh at him.
Then, he thought of all those times his peers had asked him his plans for the future. He usually responded that he was unsure, but the Marines was a reasonable option. They would then pity him and say, “That’s very noble”. But James knew that they thought it was disgraceful to join the military. Even his best friend of 15 years, Michal, did not understand. James thought that Michael of all people would show some sort of acceptance towards his decision. He felt alone among his family and peers and wished they would understand his desire to protect and serve.
Then he remembered all the work he had completed, how far he had come. He recalled late nights writing and rewriting his essays that described why he wanted to be a Marine. He worked hard to impress teachers and coaches in order to obtain their best recommendations. He had run miles every day for the past two months, in rain, snow, and freezing conditions. James had done hundreds of pull-ups and thousands of sit-ups. Then he remembered when he was a young boy, how he wanted to fight bad guys and save the world.
James thought to himself, “F*** it, I’ll do it.” He unlocked the door to his car and got out. He walked through the frigid cold, climbed the worn stairs and arrived at the glass door that read, “The Few, The Proud, The Marines”. His hands felt clammy and his ears were red. With a deep exhale, he opened the glass door and walked in.
Two months after entering the recruiting office, he had gotten into the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) program at the University of Southern California. His junior year of college, James was sent to the Marine Corps’ Officers Candidate School (OCS) in Quantico, Virginia. He finished top of his class and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. After college graduation, he was sent to the renowned   Infantry Officer Course (IOC). There he would be broken and molded into one of the most dangerous infantry soldiers in the United States. Although James was now a Marine, he was scared.
Now, James found himself sitting in a cramped seat of a c 17 aircraft. He was weary and running on 4 hours of sleep. Earlier that day he and his platoon had risen at 3 am to catch their 4 o’clock flight. Despite his sleep deprivation, he was excited yet nervous. He was no longer a trainee and was now a full-fledged United States Marine. But though he was a Marine, he wondered why he was still so anxious and afraid.
Two hours later, the c 17 landed in Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan. As James’ platoon got out of their seats, the pilot’s voice filled the cabin, “Marines, welcome to the s***hole you’ll be calling home for the next three months. Give’em h***!” A soft chuckle spread through the soldiers.
As James left the aircraft, beads of sweat began to pool on his uniform while the dry heat smacked him in the face. He thought to himself, “Wow, I’m actually here…in Afghanistan.” “I’m not sure how the h*** I’ll make it out alive in this heat.” He was brought back to reality by Staff Sergeant Duncan, his trusty second in command. He and the Staff Sergeant had meet shortly after James had graduated IOC and had become fast friends. James respected Duncan for his loyalty, focus, and bravery; he knew he could depend on him for anything.
Duncan said, “Sir, you just received orders to check in at the command center.”
James replied, “Ok. Get the men situated.”
Two days later James and his platoon were sent to an outpost outside of a small town in Northern Afghanistan. Once they arrived, James ordered his men to fortify the outpost. He and Staff Sergeant Duncan decided to patrol the surrounding town and mountains, and meet the local elders. To James’ surprise, his outpost was fairly tranquil; he began to feel a false sense of relaxation but was still felt like his high school self. 
Then two weeks into their occupation, there was a suicide bombing on the Marines’ outpost. To James despair, two of his men were injured in the attack and were medivaced out. Things just kept getting worse for James and his men and stress began to mount. Every day at around 2 pm they would receive a barrage of fire from the local Taliban insurgents. The Taliban fighters were clever and always hid in the mountains or among the villagers. This tactic made it hard for the Americans to identify who was attacking them. The Marines grew frustrated with their situation. They were trained to be aggressive and fight back but how could they shot an enemy that simply disappeared. James and the Staff Sergeant tried everything to counter the enemy but were at a loss.
It was July sixteenth. There was a little over a week left in James’ deployment; he was eager to return stateside. The young Lieutenant was so close to returning home but one mistake could cost him or his soldiers their lives.  However, the insurgents continued to attack his outpost. James knew that he still had a responsibility to protect his men and ensure their safe return. So he and Duncan devised a plan to oppose the enemy’s continuous assaults.
The following day James, Staff Sergeant Duncan, and five other Marines trekked through the blistering heat to question a local. They had received a tip from a trusted informant that a man named Muhammad Amir was connected to the Taliban. They arrived at his house drenched in sweat and caked in sand. James’ hand kept trembling but adrenaline pumped through his veins. The Staff Sergeant kicked down the door to Amir’s house. The Marines stormed the building, James leading the charge. They found the Afghani man sitting in a chair eating his breakfast with a look of surprise. James quickly ordered the soldiers to secure the house and detain the man. They cuffed the man and shoved him to his knees. James stood across from Amir with a stern expression.
Amir, “What you want? I no do nothing wrong.”
James gestured for the Corporal Garcia, who was fluent in Arabic, to translate. James, “Ask him if he is Muhammad Amir.”
Amir, “What do you want? Why have you broken into my house?”
James, “Tell him we know about his involvement with the Taliban.”
Amir, “Taliban?  I don’t know anything about the Taliban.”
James, “Don’t lie to me Amir, we have proof. Tell him that we can offer protection… if he doesn’t comply tell him we can make his life very uncomfortable.”
Amir, “You don’t understand…”
James was unsure how to make this man crack. But he thought a show of power would do the trick. So, he pulled his pistol from its holster and pointed it at Amir’s head. James, “Tell him we don’t have time to d*** around. Tell him I’ll shot him if he won’t comply.”
Amir, “…Ok Ok. They’ve been living in the mosque. That’s all I know I swear.”
James, “Corporal, you and Private Rivera stay here and guard this detainee. Radio for assistance if need be.” “Staff Sergeant, let’s go to the mosque and check it out.” James and his men left the house headed towards the mosque.
Five minutes later, James and his men saw the golden sheen of the temple’s roof. The lieutenant ordered the Sergeant and another soldier to go around and clear the back. Once Duncan and his soldier were in place, James and his Marines knock down the mosques’ door. There were roughly fifteen Taliban fighters lounging around. But unlike Amir, they were quicker to react.
As the insurgents reached for their weapons the Marines gunned down four of them, but the men quickly retaliated. Finding cover behind the columns, James knew he was outnumbered and at a tactical disadvantage. That was when all hell broke loose. Gun fire erupted from every direction. James heard two loud grunts from his Marines as the slumped over. He saw Staff Sergeant Duncan shot three men before taking a round square in the chest. James had shot two men when he looked over to see blood gushing from several holes in the last Marines body.
There were six men left. For the first time, real fear began to creep into James. He knew his odds were slim but he was also a United States Marine and he was not about give up. With a roar, he unpinned a grenade and tossed it at the men. Two men instantly exploded. James ran from his cover and shot two more. Then he felt the searing pain in his abdomen. He looked down and saw blood pulsing from a hole in his chest. He shot one more man before he dropped to his knees.
James knew he failed. He had allowed four of his men to die and was on the cusp of oblivion. He saw his life flash before his eyes. He relived the time his best friend, Michael and his parents had discouraged him from joining the military. Then James saw the insurgent walk towards him and place his pistol on James’ head. He closed his eyes. For the first time, he felt at peace. He no longer was fearful or tense. He was ready.  Bang.