09/20/2026
He wants you to know he is halfway through this deployment and stronger than day one.
I am sitting on the cot right next to him watching him film this. We are in a small room with gray concrete walls. There is a metal fan in the corner that just pushes the hot air around. He is holding his phone up high. He is trying to catch that one bar of signal so this video can actually post.
Today is day 53. The dust in the desert air makes the screen look cloudy as he taps the glass. This is what the quiet hours look like for American soldiers on the other side of the world. It is the slow time of day when the silence gets loud.
Play the video one more time. Look at his face right before he asks you to follow. You can see the heavy fatigue around his eyes, but he still forces that quick grin. He wants to keep the mood light.
It is easy to feel forgotten when you are thousands of miles away from everyone you love. The days blend together in the constant heat. The sheer distance is a physical weight that sits in the room with us. But he is still standing tall.
Leave a comment below to show him some support. Please say thank you to him in your own words. 🫡