Memories for some are the most precious prize, capable of evoking feelings of euphoria, joy, nostalgia of the greatest depth. Memories for others bring terror, desperation and endless interpretations of horror, it is within this spectrum of human experience that my most vivid memories lie. An event that forever reshaped my paradigm occurred while I was deployed to FOB Kalsu in Iraq, it was a mundane summer day reminiscent of any other UV-enhanced day, yet this day would forever be etched into the walls of my levels deeper consciousness for the rest of my life, due to the events that would occur. It all started with the sound of my alarm, its siren piercing the pitch-black canvas that was my room, lighting it up with a continuous metronome of beep after beep. I turned on the light to get a pristine view of my surroundings, which had mostly been vacated by my roommate, Sparks was still lying in his bed, just like a stiffened corpse which, ironically, could be anyone's fate of us at any given moment. As if my words were invisible chest plates that came to life in a jolt of movement at the simple call of his name, I grabbed my gear, went to shower and perform my morning hygiene routine. I slowly opened the door leading out of my sleeping area and began the familiar path to the showers. I vividly remember that the darkness outside was a miasma of salty heat and wind, as if I had somehow entered a dark oven and the salt was being thrown upon me from above by an invisible hand to season me for consumption and subsequent death. Upon further evaluation it was apparent that the still damp sandals clinging to my feet were mixing with the sand beneath to create a trail of mud, funny as such trivial d... middle of paper... yard had changed, it was no longer a place of work but had become a butcher's shop, forever contaminated by the smell of freshly cut meat. Feelings of desperation and deep sadness filled me. Mr Mills was a somewhat angry individual but never complained about what he was asked to do. He had been married for 35 years, had worked for KBR as a US contractor, began working in 2004, and met his death on July 23, 2010 at the age of 54. No one deserves to die, not Mr. Mills, nor any other human being. be, but one idea that I think over and over in my mind perhaps to console myself for his passing is that it was an almost instantaneous, painless death. It's strange how our death doesn't affect who we are in any way, because once we're dead we're gone, however the death of others tends to have the greatest influence on who we are, I know I've experienced this first hand.