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113 SERGEANT JOSEPH COLVIN MOVING ON A salty mist rolls down my forehead as my duffle bags find their way outside. My plywood square of a B-hut room is now as eerie as a concert hall in the middle of off-season. This was the place I could go after a day of life on Bagram. The smile on her face made this room my personal heaven. A paradise. I am ready to carry out the last box, the one that will signal my departure. Glare bakes the B-hut, but the room itself feels cold. My steps toward the door, slow. This box is heavy with a weight of its own, as if it too grabs on to the floor with hidden tentacles. Even my inanimate belongings do not wish this life to end. The door marks the way from heaven to hell, mocks me, shakes with laughter as the wind blows. The glow outlining the edges hints at the harsh light outside. I am close enough to grasp the handle. Can this leaving be what has come of our commitment? I turn for one last look at the room. Some say one can never go back. Faith tells me otherwise. I take my next steps out of faith alone. I will be pummeled with debris as I push forward. The door closes behind me, and I stand in a foreign place. The room, that mirror image of my heart, is as empty as a battlefield after the last of the warriors’ cries. Bittersweet tears massage my face and cross my lips. Sweet for the memories I take with me. Bitter because memory is all that is left of my marriage. We made a pact to stand strong. She broke that pact. She broke me. Sergeant Joseph Colvin, US Army, served in Iraq and Afghanistan. mos: 92G Food Service Specialist hometown: San Antonio, Texas I am currently stationed in Fort Riley, Kansas. At the moment I am working on reclassing to Civil Affairs or maybe Psychological Warfare. I have picked up the guitar as a hobby and use my spare time to teach myself songs that challenge my ability as an amateur musician. I’ve given some thought to writing a book just to find out what I have to say. I am married to Jessica, and we have a beautiful little girl, Kayli. They have become my life. ...

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