I stood among the thud of darts and clack of pool balls. The room echoed with the liquor induced laughter. With every drink the echoes grew louder. I watched and felt a deep emptiness. I trust them with my life. I would die for them without an inkling of hesitation. We have stood side by side day in and day out, restoring peace in chaos.
Despite it all, I felt so alone. Through sober ears and mind, I realized how different we would always be. How different our experiences were. I love them. I love my time with them, but it will always be incomplete. It will never be the comradery of the war stricken. It can never be as intense as those connections forged in death and destruction. The connection on the streets is momentary. It is a series of ebbs and flows, separated by time and independence. The connection of war is constant. It is living day and night among one another, living on the precipice of life and death.
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Jake Smith is a law enforcement officer and former Army Ranger with four deployments to Afghanistan.
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