Steven Grant

Joined the Army in March of 2001, completed BCT and AIT. Sept. 11th happened while I was on leave in Mexico with orders to Korea, finished the year hardship tour and returned stateside to find myself signing-in at Fort Campbell, KY. Knowing I would deploy to Iraq four months later we prepared for war. With the 101st Airborne we landed in Kuwait just before midnight on the last day of February. We celebrated the fact that we would receive that month free of being taxed. At least that was the distraction we used as we landed in black-out and became sardines as we loaded the buses that were waiting to transport us to reception. Days later we were transported to Camp PA. A few weeks later before the war was officially announced, the war began for us as a "soldier" targeted a tent with grenades killing an officer and wounding three+ others. That moment in time was the beginning of history of war for me.