A.j. Richardson

“So few people were left who knew what combat was like. People were so easy to frighten. Combat taught a man what to fear – and what to ignore.”
― Tom Clancy, The Cardinal of the Kremlin

“There are two things a combat deployment offers which all of us strongly desire. The first, being purpose. Every morning we woke up and knew why we were there. It is immediate and unavoidable. Although, it is extreme and unpleasant, there is a comfort in that purpose. The second, is simplicity. We have one goal. There are relatively simple rules on how to accomplish it, and we understand that just about everything will go wrong. Pretty simple.”
― Adam Fenner, Post-Deployment Wisdom For Those Expecting A Returning Service Member

“Believe it when you see it.
Believe it when a twelve-year-old rolls a grenade into the room.”
― Brian Turner, Here, Bullet

“So it came to pass that as he trudged from the place of blood and wrath his soul changed.”
― Stephen Crane, The Red Badge of Courage