The Life Of a Soldier
There are several ways that you can describe the life of a soldier. A few of them include dangerous, brave, heroic, fulfilling, and at times, frightening. When a soldier is on duty, they don’t work a 9 to 5 job. They go where they are ordered, and they do what is asked. They follow orders. Even when they aren’t on duty, they are still in a soldier’s state of mind. This is something that soldiers, Robert Risdon and Jason Gibson, understand all too well.
A Rainy Night In Alabama
Robert and Jason liked soccer. Not only did they enjoy watching it, but they also coached. Robert is the head coach of the Columbus Lions, a team from Fort Benning, Columbus, Georgia. Jason is the assistant coach. The Senior Bowl was coming up, and Jason and Robert wanted to make sure that the team was practicing and that everything was on track. The team was practicing in Mobile, Alabama, so they decided to head down there. After seeing that everything was fine, the two men planned to head back home. When they left the stadium, the soldiers felt a cold wind, and it started to rain.
Dangerous Weather
The men planned to head home to their families. They were hoping that they could beat the storm, but that didn’t happen. The wind was picking up, and it started to pour. The two soldiers knew how dangerous storms could get and how quickly they could become dangerous. It didn’t take long for the men to realize that they needed to find shelter so they could wait for the storm to pass.
Stopping At Taco Bell
The men drove slowly down the street, and they came upon a Taco Bell. When they looked inside, they first thought that it was closed. There were no cars in the parking lot, and they didn’t see anyone inside. When they pulled into the parking lot, they saw that one employee was standing at the counter. They thought that this was odd since every other time they went to a Taco Bell, it was busy. They figured that because of the storm, people have chosen to eat in. Since that food chain was open, they just thought that it was an excellent place to wait out the storm. They could also get something to eat.
Something Outside
The two soldiers were eating when they noticed two figures outside. Because of the rain, the windows were foggy, so they were unable to make out who was at the window. Being soldiers, they were always on alert. They were trained to detect danger immediately, and the figures outside the window had both soldiers wondering. Based on how bad the weather was, they were wondering why someone would be outside a Taco Bell that was practically deserted. Soldier eating taco gets confronted by street gang was the first thing that ran through Robert’s mind. Both men knew that they weren’t in the best neighborhood, so they thought the figures in the window could be thugs, hoping to rob the Taco Bell or get free food. Both soldiers were tense, and they were ready for anything. When the people outside the door came in, both Jason and Robert were shocked.
Two Kids
When the door opened, the soldiers saw a teenager and a younger boy come in. They assumed that the teenager was no older than 13-years-old, and the other boy couldn’t have been older than 9. The two soldiers thought that it was odd that these boys would be out in such bad weather. Kids their age should have been home safe, watching TV on the couch. The boys approached the men and asked if they wanted to donate to their church. This was why the boys were out in the first place. Jason and Robert couldn’t believe what they were hearing.
Feeding the Boys
When the boys asked the soldiers to donate to their church, they let the kids know that they didn’t have any cash on them. Robert asked the boys if they had eaten yet, and they both said no. Robert offered to buy the boys a meal. The boys were thrilled. They were hungry and tired and would have loved a hot meal. Also, they both looked up to soldiers, so they were excited about sitting down with them.
Admiration
The whole time they were eating together, the boys looked at the solider with admiration. They explained that life was tough in their neighborhood, and they wanted to join the service when they were old enough. This made Jason and Robert beam with pride. When the younger boy saluted the soldiers, they showed him the proper way to do it, and the boy was thrilled. Robert and Jason knew that the kids admired them, and they admired the kids as well. Most kids their age would be home playing video games or on their tablets, but these two kids were trying to raise money for their church. This impressed the two soldiers.
Making a Call
The boys asked Robert if they could use his phone to call their grandfather and let him know that they were safe. For the boys and the soldiers, it was a night that they would never forget.
