Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Serve.
The Veteran
The time was 9:59 PM. The phone rang and I answered reluctantly with heartbreak and fear. My father has had a stroke and any remaining piece of him is gone. I guess it’s time for a little family history lesson. My dad served in Iraq and he went through all things imaginable. You see, he was never the same when he returned home. The man I once knew was gone and I’ve spent my whole life trying to remember the version of my father that sang those oldie blues around the house in the morning. I love him. I love him with every aching ounce in my body and the many mistakes in my soul. I knew solely that that would never change.
By Anjoelina Johnson8 years ago in Serve
Handling Finances in the Military — A Personal Account
Whenever you think of what life is like in the military, what comes to mind first? Is it the assumed thrill of a firefight? Perhaps the excitement of seeing massive explosions? Or maybe you simply think of the travel? Those that serve in the military will oftentimes tell you that what comes to mind for them first is payday, specifically the 1st and 15th of every month. Of course, when we do receive that highly sought after paycheck, we find that there never seems to be enough zeros at the end of our checks — only zeros in our bank accounts. Why is that?
By Brian Taylor8 years ago in Serve
Is the War on Terror a Cosmic War or Not?
What is there in the mind of humans that makes them so grappled with faith and fervor about a current struggle, which allows them to startle violence against the rest of humanity? Well, this is one of the reasons why Reza Aslan argues in How to Win a Cosmic War that the war on terror is a “Cosmic War.”
By Chloe Larson8 years ago in Serve
Hello, Bootcamp
We talked about it six months prior. I had six months to mentally and physically prepare myself. I knew what I was getting myself into and that it would be hard. Every day for six months I knew December 5 would be a dreadful day. Six months flew by and though we talked about it nearly every day, it felt like it’d never actually get here. But it did. Quickly.
By Kristin Jones8 years ago in Serve
Best Tactical Combat Boots
Everyone in the military knows at least one "geardo;" also known as the one guy who insists on breaking the bank by splurging on all sorts of tactical combat gear. Some geardos do this to prepare for war. So, to a point, it does make sense.
By Buddy Brown8 years ago in Serve
Losing Yourself
The most important person in your life has seemingly and suddenly vanished. You said goodbye to him, you gave him a kiss and a hug and left with ten long weeks of waiting stretched between your next meeting. Even if you’ve tried to prepare yourself mentally for the upcoming challenges, nothing truly prepared you for what you’re going through. You find your mind drifting to dark places—the what-ifs, the worries, the fears. You hate him one minute and miss the hell out of him the next. You’re proud that he’s taking his future into his own hands and starting a new and exciting part of his life, but you’re worried that you and your relationship will fade away in his mind in favor of that new future. When you write him letters, you’ll try to be positive, even though you might want to break down more than anything, knowing that he won’t be there to pick up the pieces. When you tell him how much you love and miss him, those sentiments might seem unrequited because he won’t write it nearly as much as you will. It’s easy to lose yourself in the worry, fear and doubt, and to obsess over all of it. It’s easy to question if anything will be the same when he returns to you, if he’ll love you or treat you the same as he did before, and let the brick in your chest drag you down further, and further, until you can’t even see the light any more. You’ll feel like you’re losing him, and then you’ll feel like you’re losing yourself. It’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do.
By Lindsey Allen8 years ago in Serve
It's Finally Time
“Please, I need you here to tell me everything will be alright.” “Jesse, are you alright?” He stayed silent. But Chelsea knew something was wrong. Jesse was rarely this quiet. As she went to put her arms around him, a single tear started to roll down his cheek.
By Erika Solazzo8 years ago in Serve
Navy: My First Man Overboard Experience
I was a part of a helicopter squadron attached to the U.S.S Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier. Our motto was, “We Rescue. We Protect. We Deliver.” I never thought about how much weight those words carried until we had to put them into play.
By Kyndall Bennett - Kyrabe Stories8 years ago in Serve
What it's Like Being the Daughter of a Military Parent
Often times when I tell people that I have only lived in Georgia for nine years, they are surprised that a person as young as myself hasn't lived here my whole life. Well that's because I am the daughter of a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Air Force. I am also the granddaughter of a Lieutenant General (3 Stars) in the US Air Force. I have moved around a lot since I was born. My dad has moved even more times than me. I have been one of the more fortunate people to have at least lived somewhere for more than two years.
By Bryanna Burshnick8 years ago in Serve
