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Personal Narrative: My Savage

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To many people Savage is a derogatory word used to describe people of Native American descent, but for me, it became a term that would define me for the rest of my life. When I hear Savage, I think of a warrior, someone who is strong, belongs to a brotherhood, fought to defend their home, stood for right and honor, and defended those that could not defend themselves. I became a "Savage" in the spring of 2011 when I joined the Oklahoma Army National Guard coming off of a deployment with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. Savage was the call sign of the 1/279 Infantry battalions Scout Platoon. Over the course of the next thirteen months that call sign came to be what I would become. It was June of 2011, myself and part of my platoon had …show more content…
Our Intelligence guys told us the area would be pretty calm. We needed to get eyes on some areas and meet and talk with some locals and get a feel for the area. Our second day there my Platoon Sargent and I were walking up to a compound where just outside the night before one of our trucks was blown up by an improvised explosive device. As we were walking up the hill with a few of our Afghan counterparts we got ambushed. The first round shot at us impacted the ground approximately twelve inches to the left of my feet. We looked at each other surprised. We couldn't tell where the shot came from, but we knew we had to move because we had nothing to get behind or use as cover. As we continued to move up the draw, another shot rang out. This time we heard the distinctive crack whizz of a bullet flying close between us, missing either of us by less than 12 inches. We both took a knee as another shot rang out going over our heads. My Platoon Sargent saw the muzzle flash from the ridgeline and began firing back, calling out the distance and direction to the shooter. Before he could fire four rounds, all hell broke loose as multiple other insurgents started firing a hail of bullets down upon us. The bad thing was as soon as the first round was fired our Afghan counter parts scattered leaving us alone and our only help five hundred meters behind us. We were out gunned and had to get to …show more content…
I stayed back with a few of the guys to rest and recover. That evening there was a knock on my door, and I was told to get to the Command Post. When I got there, I was informed that the lead truck in my platoons convoy struck a massive improvised explosive device that killed my team leader and friend Staff Sargent Kirk Owen. Staff Sargent Owen was the one who came up with our radio call sign, Savage. A call sign is how different units identify themselves over the radio, so you know which unit is talking over the radio. He was also the heart and soul of our platoon. Not only was he a great leader but a great friend and man. The next few days were a blur filled with sorrow, anger, hatred, and pity. In the midst of all that I had become a leader for my team and in the platoon. I realized if I could be half as good as him not only in the army but in life I would be ok. What made him so great was that regardless of his position those under him always came first, he would always lead from the front and by example, he was tenacious when he needed to be, but he was calm, and he never showed fear. All were characteristics I wanted to live up to because I was now forever part of his

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