A Hero of Mine

SPC Gardner- raise  your right hand and repeat after me.

“I, (state your name) (Shaun Gardner), do solemnly swear, that I will support and defend, the Constitution of the United States, against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and that I will bear true faith, and alleigiance 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 regulation, and the Uniform Code of Military Justice, so help me God.”

On July 4^th, 2013 on FOB Walton Afghanistan, SPC Gardner repeated these words after I said them in front of our Battalion. It is an officer who always enlists and/or reenlists someone and SPC Gardner requested that I be that officer for him. This was my first reenlistment that I had ever conducted and it truly was an honor. I am not sure there will be another day where a reenlistment is done on July 4^th because typically, we have that day off! J Thankfully, he gave me about a month in advance in order for me to memorize the oath. It isn’t required by any means, but it feels more heartfelt that way. I practiced with SFC O’Neal and PFC Williams quite often that month and SPC Gardner and I practiced over and over again the day of and thankfully, we did great! I about stumbled on one of the lines, but I caught myself.

As we were standing in front of all these Soldiers taking this oath, my hand was shaking, and I was staring into his eyes and it hit me, right in the middle of the oath, that this is what a hero looks like. He is deployed to Afghanistan, away from his girlfriend, his family and friends and yet he is still taking an oath to serve additional years to our country. It is not easy over here. Do not get me wrong, we aren’t treated bad or anything like that, but it is hard to be away from families and just stuck here- but he has the strength, courage, and pride to say that he will continue to make this sacrifice for even more years than he has already given. Not many people can say they reenlisted a true here, on July 4^th, in Afghanistan and I am thankful I am blessed with this memory. Thank you, SPC Gardner, you are my hero!