Of the global occurrences that have had a significant impact on my life three were positive and three negative in the beginning and I still view them from those perspectives. However, the impact that they have had in my life have all caused very positive outcomes. Because of my convictions, beliefs and will to advance and better myself I have been able to use all experiences to somehow mold me in a positive manner. Both the invasion of Iraq and the Gulf War of the 90’s had initial negative impacts on my life. Both occurrences took family and friends into combat. Some of which I never saw again once they left for combat and some that were never the same upon return and whom I have watched suffer over time and ultimately end their lives through suicide. The development of the Internet, GPS and cell phone technology has all been very positive influences in my life. They have made communication, research and navigation easier, quicker and overall more in depth. However, I recognize some negative effects of the development of GPS and cell phone technology and the Internet. People no longer use the basic navigational skills and tools such as map reading, a protractor and compass. Many young people today have no idea how to read a map…what if all of a sudden the technology that drives GPS quits working or is intentionally jammed…many people would have no idea how to navigate with the most basic tools. The advancement of cell phone technology over the years has resulted in people in general socializing face to face or through the conventional method of letter writing. People just do not “know” very many people anymore. Families used to sit and have meaningful conversations about any and everything, mainly because they did not communicate when they were apart because the convenience of a telephone was not present everywhere you were. The Internet has become a vast playground for today’s criminals. There are more active predators than ever before and their main tool for finding their victims is the internet. It is this fact that has motivated me to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Information systems security and cyber-security. I hope to be able to decrease predators’ ability to victimize potential victims. Of the six personal occurrences that have had an impact on my life I only viewed two as negative. The death of my second husband and the divorce from my 1st husband. However, I have used these experiences to help me realize how precious life is and to know what I expect from a partner and how to recognize early signs of the characteristics that are or are not what I desire in a partner. I also used the death of my second husband to realize that I must remain alert to myself and ensure that I care for myself both physically and mentally. I will never be ashamed to say that I need help no matter the circumstance. The birth of my daughters was most definitely the most significant event of my life. The day I found of I was going to be a mother each time was a blessing and made me more determined to reach my ultimate goals of success both personally and professionally. Joining the military allowed me to finally fulfill my conviction to follow the footsteps of all the men in my family and serve my country by playing my part in protecting the freedoms that we as Americans have been afforded. My deployment overseas was awaited with anticipation of experiencing another culture I like many American citizens have conflicting ideas about. It taught me many things first hand and educated me in many ways helping me to understand the many different cultures in the Middle East.