I was a soldier in the American Army, and I was deployed in Afghanistan.

Hello. I was a soldier in the American Army, and I was deployed in Afghanistan. I was honourably discharged about a year ago and I’m still alive and unharmed. I lived over there for two years, and I saw a lot of things I will never forget.<br><br>While I was doing some chores in my apartment, I decided that it was time to write down my Afghanistan story. In my time in Afghanistan, I saw everything from death to birth to children being blown up by IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices). I saw everything. And it all comes back to the one thing that happened the very first night I was there. <br><br>I was 20 years old when I deployed, and I was still young. I was single, and I had no family. I felt like it was my duty to join the military, to fight for my country. I was a proud boy, and I didn’t like that my country was under attack. And so I joined. I enlisted in 2014 and was sent to training camp. I trained for two years before being sent overseas. It was Christmas time when I got in the plane, and I remember every second of it. My parents were at the airport with me, crying, and my sister was there too. I remember my younger brother telling me to “get all of them Talibans”. I was reminded of my brother’s young innocence, and I felt like I had to protect him.<br><br>Once we landed in Afghanistan, I was taken to my Camp. I was in Afghanistan for about five days before being sent out to one of the outposts. I was told to pack my shit and to be ready to go. I was told to bring only my essentials, my gear, and my rifles. I was told to be prepared for anything. I remember that moment like it was yesterday. The old Sergeant who told me to pack my shit was a small man. He was old, but he had a stern voice and in his eyes you saw the look of a man who had seen 500 years worth of shit. I remember his eyes. And I remember his words. “Be prepared for anything.”<br><br>I was loaded onto a chopper and an hour later I was at the outpost. I remember feeling nervous, I was only a young man, and I was in a foreign country. It was dark, and the soldiers at the outpost were waiting for me. I was picked up by a Sergeant and brought to a tent. I was told to go to bed and to be ready for duty the next day. I was tired, so I did what I was told. I went to bed, but I couldn’t sleep. I was awake pretty much all night. <br><br>The next day, I went to the base cafeteria. I looked around, and I saw that there were around thirty soldiers there. Some were sleeping, some were watching TV, and some were eating. I walked up to the cook and told him I was there to eat. I was served a basic meal; rice, beans, and meat. I ate some of it and then I walked out of the cafeteria. I stayed in the hallways for a while, walking around, trying to think of what was next. I walked around the outpost and I saw the soldiers. I saw them doing their jobs, manning their posts, and doing their chores. I felt like I needed to do something, so I finally called out to a man nearby. I asked him what I could do to help out. I saw the look in his eyes and I saw that something was wrong. He was an older man, and I could tell just by looking at him that he had been in the military for a long time. I asked him again, and he told me to go to the base gym. I didn’t know where that was, so he walked me there.<br><br> “Listen kid”, he said. “I’ve been an officer here for three years now, and I have to tell you something.” <br><br>I shook my head a little bit and he stopped, but then he began walking again.<br><br> “You know that there is a rule here?”<br><br> “What kind of rule?”<br><br> “The door rule”<br><br> “What’s the door rule?”<br><br> “Do you see this door?” He pointed to a door nearby, but I didn’t see it. But I told him I saw it.<br><br> “Good. Then you have to follow the rule. Do you know what that is?”<br><br> “Nope”<br><br> “No door is safe. Unless you check it, no door is safe.”<br><br> “Okay. I’ll remember that. But it’s not midnight, so it doesn’t matter.” <br><br> “What do you mean it doesn’t matter?”<br><br> “I mean it only matters at midnight.” <br><br> “Okay. I’ll remember that.”<br><br> “And kid?”<br><br> “Yeah?”<br><br> “Stay away from the barracks at midnight.” <br><br> “Okay. But I sleep in the barracks.”<br><br> “Oh shit, you’re going to sleep in the barracks?”<br><br> “Yeah, I guess so. I don’t think I have a choice.”<br><br> “Alright. Well just be aware of the rule, okay?” <br><br> “Alright. Thanks for telling me” <br><br> “No problem kid.” <br><br>He pointed me in the direction of the gym and walked away. I went to the gym and told one of the men that I was looking for something to do. The man who I was talking to told me his name, but it’s been too long since then. All I remember is that his name starts with the letter C. I asked him if I could work with him for a while. He told me we were going to go dig up some trash. I didn’t know what he meant, but I said it sounded good. So we went outside, just me, him, and two other men. We walked for a long time in the desert before we got to the dump site. <br><br>We put down our gear and got to work. We were digging holes and filling them with trash. I saw a lot of gross shit there, but I didn’t see anything that I thought was out of the ordinary. I saw an old chair with broken legs. I saw an old rusty car wheel. I saw old broken machinery. I saw a lot of gross and broken things, but nothing too out of the ordinary. That was until I found something. I was pushing a big open plastic bag into a hole when I saw something. It looked like a mannequin head, but it was mouldy and worn out. I looked at it and I thought it was strange, but I decided to ignore it. I continued digging, and I forgot about the head.<br><br>It was getting late, and I was told to be back on the outpost at midnight. I didn’t ask why but I was told to be back by midnight. I asked my new friend what we were going to do now. He told me that we were going to the bar. I hadn’t seen a bar on the outpost at all, so I was confused. I followed him though, and we ended up in a secret room. The room was small, with 2 tables, and a bar in the corner. There was nobody else there, and so it was just us in the room. I was given a beer and told to drink. I was only 22, but I was told to drink. So I did. <br><br>I was pretty buzzed, and I was asked if I wanted to drink some more. I told them I was okay with just one more beer. They told me that the beers were free, and I was free to drink as many beers as I wanted, as long as they were under 5. I didn’t know why that mattered, but I decided I was okay with 2 beers. <br><br>I was drinking and listening to the music when I heard someone say something. “Enjoy these beers, boy” <br><br>I turned around and I saw a man behind me. But when I turned back, he was gone. I thought I was drunk and I decided to forget it, but I did hear him. “Enjoy these beers, boy.”<br><br>I drank my beers slowly as I continued to listen to the music. But when I looked at my watch, I saw that I was late for midnight. I told the group I had to go, and they told me I didn’t. I told them I had to go, but they told me I didn’t. I was confused, and I didn’t know if I should stay or go. I decided to go because I had nowhere else to go. I told them I had to go, and I walked out of the bar. <br><br>I was walking by myself in the dark, but I wasn’t scared. I had my rifle, and I knew how to use it. I walked to the front gate and looked around before I got in bed. I looked around, and I thought I saw something moving in the shadows. I thought I saw something, but I couldn't be sure. It was dark, and I was drunk. I didn’t think too much of it, but I did think of it.<br><br>I went to bed and I was asleep almost immediately. I had a hard time sleeping for the first month, but that night I slept fast. I was tired, and I slept fast.<br><br>The rest of my time in Afghanistan was fine. I did my job, I did my duties, and I survived. I tried to forget the mannequin head, and I tried to forget that voice. I tried to forget it all, but I couldn’t.