Coming back and checking on the flag from now and then, reading old messages, is WILD!
Lots has changed, I see we have lost several people over time.
When I joined up I was fresh out of grad school, completely unsatisfied with the trajectory of a normal life and living vicariously through RYP and the pirates of the flag forum. I followed 40 page shit fest word brawls and enjoyed far to much of it.
Via some kind of genetic predisposition for tomfoolery I joined the Army at 29 (2008) went to OCS and had a fairly bizarre military stint that ended dynamically in a completely non cool story way, RIGHT when SOF was going to add some spice to my life. Then like a cowboy musical I had to put my Akita (who is still in my profile) down which brought back some shit from when I lost my buddy Mike in 2010 whom I was a special escort for to Arlington. Mike and I had an affinity for all things RYP and adventure. Turk, the dog, LOVED Mike the human, which was rare as Turk despised most people.
So I sat down and did what every Joyce does, I wrote a novel. Took me nearly two years, and with the help of the Veterans Writing Project and Andria Williams, I was able to put together query letters.
I got a hit and the book is done and out. RYP we are growing up and doing all kinds of things out there beyond the flag. I will gladly send you a copy wherever you are in the world.
V