As I read Smithson's personal stories in war I felt extremely moved by everything he tells, especially his reason for enlisting. It was very interesting learning about basic training in the army and helped me get a clue as to what new recruits go through, especially sense my cousin had recently enlisted. I always love learning more about the military and how they do things so this book really peaked my interest. As the book continued to him being deployed I found his stories to be foreign to me. They seem like a different world. Over in Iraq people die all the time and I, personally, hardly hear of people dying for any other reason than old age. I know I have been very blessed, and I can thank God for that, my point is I have no idea what those soldiers are going through, and I don't know how to relate to their hardships. This book gave me a little bit of insight into their world and what they go through on a daily basis This also gave me insight into how much we take soldiers for granted and what they do for us. I also learned how many freedoms or comforts they give up to have a job like that, not everyone is cut out for something like that. After reading this book I have set a new goal for my self and I challenge you to do the same. Every time you go out in public and see someone in their army fatigues, take out of some of your own time and say thank you for their service. This maybe something you already do but for 15 year old me this can seem daunting, but after reading this book I can conclude that soldiers really appreciate a civilian thanking them from time to time.