Medal Parade

On Sunday, 18 March, I stood in a formation with nearly 200 other troops, from 18 different countries, to receive the NATO medal. It was quite an experience, even though the General who pinned it on me called me Dave.

When I first got to ISAF and heard about these medal parades, I thought they sounded kinda corny. Frankly, I've never quite understood the allure of military medals and ribbons. After serving over here for four months, my opinion has done a 180. I was glad to stand in those ranks and will certainly wear that medal with pride.

I have to admit, seeing myself in that photo feels a little weird. It just looks so... military. I guess what I'm saying is it looks more military than I feel. But there's no getting around it - I'm a military dude after all. Not to the same extent as some of the gung-ho Army soldiers or Marines I've known, but certainly enough to be standing there in front of the HQ building, shoulder to shoulder with my brothers and sisters in arms.