My birthday is at the very end of August, causing me to be held back a year. My parents didn’t want me to be the youngest in my class, even though I am an alpha. Plus, I think my mother just wanted to keep me at home a little longer. I was her only child until I was in first grade and she wanted to have just one more year where I could be her “baby.” That means that when I did finally go to school, I was the oldest in my class. It made me 19 when I graduated, nearing 20. It meant that I wasn’t in Iraq for long when I turned 21. I was lucky enough that my birthday happened to be on my day off. I got to have a long video chat with my family back home and got two care packages. One was from my family. It was filled with three king sized Snickers bars (my favorite candy), a new razor and shaving cream, pictures from family parties and pack events, air fresheners (thank the Goddess, cause Nick’s feet fucking stank!), playing cards, sunscreen, travel toiletries, and my two person
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