Personal Narrative: My Experience In The Military

I was not placed in a foster home or with a foster family. I was placed in institutions that smelled and looked like mental hospitals. I could never settle in and get comfortable. It was not a home. Living out of big black plastic trash bags, I had nowhere to go, no structure, no future, and no place to call home.

Anisha Reid, a twenty-three year old, African American woman, born July 30, 1992 and raised up north in Trenton, New Jersey to Tina and Richard. The youngest of thirteen children. Graduated high school from Trenton Central High School in June 2010. Presently enrolled at the University of West Georgia to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing.

Being a military dependent is something I have known my whole life. My dad joined the Air Force in 1988 at the age of twenty-four. He initially joined the military to help people, but wasn’t sure what he wanted to do, this led him to fighting fires until 2010. I was born in the year 1999; I grew up with him working twenty-four hour shifts and then being home for twenty-four hours. My father’s time in the military shaped who I was by his instilling in me responsibility, love for people, and the core values of the United States Air Force.

In my life I have faced some extremely trying experiences and, from them, learned some very valuable lessons. My father, SPC Theodore “TJ” Ingemanson, an Iraq War Veteran and Wounded Warrior, passed unexpectedly, from injuries he suffered during his deployment for Operation Iraqi Freedom. I was twelve years old. Two months after this devastating event, my mother was sent to prison for choices she made that impacted our lives in a negative way. Life, as I knew it, became a chaotic tailspin, changing rapidly and drastically. I moved in with my father’s aunt and uncle, as it is the home where he grew up, and they were the ones that my family trusted and knew they would provide a strong, stable, and loving home. Aunt Rose and Uncle Bob are the people that have

In Oct 2004, I joined the US Navy Reserves with the desire to be an Officer. I joined the Reserves under the advice that I would have a better chance of being selected coming from inside the Reserves. I applied but lacked the technical degree needed to be a competitive candidate at that time. I choose to stay in the Reserves and serve in enlisted ranks. I am proud to say that I have served in the US Navy Reserves for ten years.

It will be 5 years this June that I have been in the Foster Care System, I can still remember walking home from school smelling the fresh breeze of air, all the sweaty kids running to their cars waiting to head home from school, or to the ice cream trucks that all had the same foul smell of cheese and takis that followed every breeze that came near. There was a black car, the one time is what we referred them to, this was something that was not out of the ordinary to see around my home. But today was different, two men wearing business suits stepped out of it and went into my home. I stayed back just to get a glimpse of what was going on. I see my mom rush out of the house and into the car, little did I know this would be the last time I would see her as a

Tamales is more than just a simple Mexican recipe. “Tamales” means unity, in my family; it means more family gatherings, and new memories. At the age of five most kinds don’t comprehend what’s going on, however I did. I always had a clear understanding, I don’t know if my parents didn’t know how to hide it well or if I knew how to put the puzzle together, either way, I knew.

When i was a child, I wasn’t the smartest, or the most popular in school. I was always made fun of because of skin color. My teachers did not like me, but I had many influences from my parents, and my siblings. As my life continued, I made it to the negro leagues, which I did not like, because I thought I was as good as everyone else in the MLB. Once I got into the MLB, I was threatened by my teammates and other teams. I would also receive death threats from fans of the Dodgers, and fans of other teams. Once I retired from the MLB, the hardships did not stop. My son was a really bad influence to others. He was convicted of drug abuse, and was killed in a car crash. From good things to bad things I made the best out of

Growing up in Iraq in the era between the gulf war, Iran war, and Iraq war with the United state was a challenge for me, but it was not harder challenge than all what my parents went through to keep me and my siblings safe and sound. My mother is one of the strongest people that I have came cross in my life. She was and still the best mother, teacher, and my best friend. She graduated from Al Mosul University in Iraq as a Mechanical Engineer. Being a daughter of graduated mother will always push me to complete my education and go even further to earn my master degree too.

Before iI was adopted I was treated like crap. I was abused and was stuck in my room all the time. I could not come out. I was miserable.I would run away because I was afraid, but end up always getting caught by the police and put back in the home. I was put in several foster care home and several group homes the foster care homes treated me like another kid on the block . the group homes were nice they provided me with a place to live and a education my mom would come visit me once a month check on me and then live tell next visit

Growing up I was the kid who looked at the world with open optimistic eyes. I grew up in a small city called Dora located in Iraq, the middle of three girls. I was born in the late 90s, I have been told that I was born "at the end of the good days". That's when Iraq's political circumstances were not at peace at all, at 2003 another war broke in Iraq. My family felt threatened by all the violence the country was in. That's when my family and I fled to Syria for limited time intel the country's condition could get better. When we came back to iraq at that time the security conditions in Iraq were terrible They got from bad to worse. One evening a massive shooting occurred near our

I joined the Marine Corps on 21 August 2008. My primary MOS is Fixed-wing aircraft safety equipment mechanic, KC-130. As a Safety equipment mechanic I am required to troubleshoot, isolate, and repair survival equipment aboard the kc 130J/MV-22 platforms.

While helping my mom set up for Veterans Day, I was in charge of meeting with the Veterans and helping them get their visitor passes into the elementary school. The turn out was great, many veterans showed up in a variety of ages. I met with the oldest veteran there and helped him get situated before the parade began.

The time was August 1990, I was a young man at the age of 19. President Bush Sr. had put into motion what started off as Desert Shield, later escalating into Desert Storm due to Saddam Hussein taking over the country of Kuwait and making his way to the country of Saudi Arabia. The Marines where the first one’s in with boots on the ground. The time I spent in Desert Shield/Storm helped me transform me from a young boy into a responsible man, with oh so real events that became part of American History. My family and friends say their little boy wasn’t the same that left the States as the one that returned a man.

As I have grown, I have consistently let the monsters of Fear and Anxiety live and dwell in the heart of my soul. They are well known to wreck havoc among the most simple situations. Because of them, I constantly overthink my past, present, and future experiences, boiling down to being afraid of people and places. I have a pattern of loving intensely, and at times, my loyalty allows those I trust to betray me.