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Instiuctoi: Ni. Alfieu ulen Bumpheiys, Ph.B

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Bec uS, 2u1S
Nick Thomas was born on September 18, 2013. At the age of 18 he joined the
United States Marine Corp to serve his country. Before the Marine Corp he was a high
school student who love to boxed. He enjoyed every doing been outdoor that is one of
the reasons why he join the military. I had the opportunity to interview, as well as served
by his side. I was great working with him. He was always motivated and never complain
about anything. He was great at completing his tasks. This are some of the questions I
asked Nick;
Where did you enlisted from and what made you enlist?
Nick enlisted from Everett, Washington. Washington is the place
Nick was born, he live there with his lovely mom, which I got to meet
Mary Kate Thomas. She is one of the happiest women I have ever met; it
was a great pleasure of getting to meet her. Nick graduated high school from Everett
High School on 2009, after he decided to make the greatest decision of his life, and that


was to join the great branch in the world the United States Marine Corp. He joined the
Marine Corp because he wanted to be with the best of in life.
Tell me about your boot camp and training
experiences?
The United States Marine Corp Recruit Training
also known as boot camp was 13 weeks long in San
Diego, CA. The training consist of three Phases, Phase
one consist of four weeks long. This phase is where every recruit is broken down from
our civilian habits. This is the worst phase of all. In this phase our Drill Instructors test
every recruits metal and physical disciplines. Phases II is focus more on field training.
This is where Nick shut a gun for his first time in his whole life. In phase II Nick was
also tested on Marine Corps Martial Art Program where he earn his tan belt. Phase III
consisted of working in a team. This is the last phase of boot camp this is where you get
to meet the guys you have been working with and the greatest day of his life graduation.
After Boot Camp Nick had to go to School of Infantry (SOI). SOI training mission
ensures Every Marine is, first and foremost, a Rifleman. In SOI Nick learn basic
infantry and combat skills. Nick Training was accomplished with a combination of
classroom instruction, hands-on practical application, and live-fire evolutions. After
completing his first two weeks in SOI were he learned basic infantry skills he went in to
his specific infantry MOS (Military Occupational Specialty), 0351 Assaultman.
According to Nick 0351 are the most badass Marine infantryman to ever walk the planet.

the best. He also wanted to travel around the world and he wanted to explored new
things
A 0351 is an expert with the MK153 SMAW (rocket launcher) and can blow any whole
in just about anything with a little C4 and/or TNT, Det Cord, or Dynamite.
Did you get the Chance to visit any no-combat country?
Yes, Nicks first deployment was to a 31
st
Marine Expeditionary Unit
(MEU). A MEU is an expeditionary quick reaction force, deployed and
ready for immediate response to any crisis. The 31
st
MEU is base of
Japan, where he spend three months of doing jungle training and adapting to the weather.
Nick was station in the deserts of California. The next couple of months Nick will spend
them on a Navy ship. The live in a Navy shit is horrible. On the 31
st
MUE Nick got the
chance to visit multiple countries such as Japan, Philippines, Guan, Korea, China, and
Singapore.
Did you go to any special operation school?
Nick got the opportunity to go to one of the hardest
schools in the Marine Corp: Scout Sniper School. A United
State Marine Corp Scout Sniper is a marine highly skilled in fieldcraft and marksmanship
that will deliver long-range precision fire on selected targets, from concealed positions, in
support of a combat operation. Nick spend 13 week in sniper school. He learned
everything there is to know about been a sniper as well as been a good leader in combat.
What war did you served?
Nick served in the Operation Endurance Freedom war. He
spend seven months operating as a scout sniper in Sangin,
Afghanistan. In the interview Nick explains how the war in Afghanistan has been going
on for decades. The war in Afghanistan will never end he explains: the main reason why



the Taliban are in Afghanistan is not because they are from there. Majority of the
Talibans are from Pakistan. The only reason why they are in Afghanistan is because
Afghanistan is the number producer of drugs in the world. Talibans go into Afghanistan
to buy or steal weed and poppies from the farmers. The Afghans dont know how to
cultivate other crops other then drugs. They are good at it and thats where they get all
their money. The sad part is that we know this but yet we continue to let them grow this
in the fields. That is the reason why the war in Afghanistan will never end.
I had the opportunity to spend the last two years of my Marine Corp career with
Nick. We spend a lot of good time and bad time together. I found a great article written
by Tim Golden from the New York Times that states; From the first day of the war in
Afghanistan, United States officials have pointed to a dangerous weapons in the desolate
afghan countryside; the poppy fields that have spread over thousands of acres in recent
years turning the nation into by far the largest source of opium and heroin in the world.
A lot of people in America believe that the reason for the war in Afghanistan is because
of the oil. I spend seven months in Afghanistan and did not see any oilrigs in the area I
operated from. But I did see thousands of acres of poppy fields and weed.
The war in Afghanistan is not a war against terror; the war in Afghanistan is
against narcotics. Terrorist are the people we are with in Afghanistan but the Talibans
arent from Afghanistan, this guys arent defending their land. Narcotics is their main
source of income. That how they get money to buy all their ammunition and weapons.
This is how they get their money to conduct terrorist attacks in the world. What I dont
understand is why its taking us so long to realize this and even know that we know this is
going on, we are still letting Afghan farmers grow all this narcotics and sell it to the
Taliban. This is going on, on every day basis in from of American troops. But that is not
our job, our job is to fight terrorist not narcotics. It is sad to know that thousand of
soldiers are giving up their lives for a war that is never going to end.
Right now the main mission in Afghanistan is to train the Afghan Police and
Afghan Army to take over their country. After my unit left Afghanistan, it took about a
month for the Talibans to move back in and take over the land. It took years for
American troops to take over the Sangin area, and it took a couple of months for the
Taliban to take over Sangin after American troops were pull out.
Finally I would like to end this with a quote from George W. Bush to remember
all of those who served in the was against terror; The men and women of Afghanistan
are building a nation that is free, and proud, and fighting terrors and America is honored
to be their friend.