Narrative Essay Example

There comes a point in time where everyone must make a troublesome decision in their life. To some, this decision may be tough but for others it may be as simple as taking a breath. We have all been there, when deciding what friends to make, what car to buy, what person to date, what military branch to join; but to me, all the aforementioned are frivolous in comparison to making the conscious decision of laying down your life for another individual whose only connection to you is that of a brotherhood forged by an institution that conditions you to the idea that you stand for something greater than yourself. I have had the good fortune to never talk about this topic outside of the military, but I believe it is time that students begin to comprehend, and hopefully emulate, this radical and deranged yet utterly perfect and incorruptible ideal. I am not asking for the student body to lay down their life for anyone, I spent eight years in active duty military for the sole purpose of preventing such atrocity; instead, I am asking for the student body to explore the ideal of a bond so strong that not even a mortar round can break it. The topics that must be studied are: How is this bond formed? What are the benefits from such a bond? Let’s begin by exploring how this bond is formed. If I was a betting man, I would bet my soul that the immediate response the student body will abruptly shriek is “It can’t be done! Such ‘bond’ is created during boot-camp and we are NOT giving up our freedom!” and most would agree … except me. What if we think of boot-camp not as a military training program, but rather as a group of individuals who are driven by a common goal? If we can do this then we can begin making comparisons with other groups of individuals and notice a great deal of similarities. For example, universities offer a wide variety of clubs such as the Philosophy Club or the Student Veterans Organization, and these clubs are formed because like-minded