Best Defense
Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

Quote of the day: Reflections on wearing an Army uniform for the first time

"I was an adult, standing with conviction that my life could and would become mine."

Air Force, Army, DLA conducts JTF-PO training
Air Force, Army, DLA conducts JTF-PO training

 

 

“I can remember the first time I put on a uniform, looked at a mirror and realized my heart was full. Who was this? I was no longer a small-town kid with limited resources and no chance of going to college. Instead I was an adult, standing with conviction that my life could and would become mine.”

— “Former Spc. Melissa Gibson,” in a letter in the July 2016 issue of ARMY magazine
Photo credit: U.S. Department of Defense

Thomas E. Ricks covered the U.S. military from 1991 to 2008 for the Wall Street Journal and then the Washington Post. He can be reached at ricksblogcomment@gmail.com. Twitter: @tomricks1

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