A lot of this book is intertwined with my personal life; those parts I will keep to myself. I grew up on welfare in the projects in Houston, TX, with my mother and four brothers. I joined the Army at age 17, in July of 1979, and that ended poverty. I can only credit God and my grandmother Lillian’s prayers for rescuing me. I retired after 25 years of active duty service with combat service in Operation Desert Storm. My last assignment was a Battle Staff Instructor at the Sergeant’s Major Academy, Fort Bliss, TX, during OIF/OEF. After retirement, I was a Sr. Curriculum Developer at the same Academy as a contractor with General Dynamics. I spent 14 months as a Sr. Property Specialist in Kandahar, Afghanistan with the 4/401st AFSB (2012-2014). I currently reside in El Paso, TX. I have two beautiful daughters and four grandchildren.