Clifford Strunkey
Student
English D1211
February 21st, 2019

Defining Literacy as you understand it, and connecting it to experiences in your life as a Student or outside of school.

In my early childhood my understanding of literacy was the ability to read, write and comprehend my spoken language, which is English. As I grew older, I began to realize that reading, writing and comprehending, wasn’t the only parts to literacy. In today’s world, literacy includes the ability to understand numbers, images, computers and being able to communicate some form of basic different languages.
I woke up one morning in and ask myself what I am doing with my life. So on July 27, 1987 I decided to join the U.S Military, to be specific the Army. Three months later I was sent to Ft. Leonard wood Missouri for basic training. I and fourteen others left New York on a Friday afternoon, and arrived in Missouri that night. All of us were from different parts of the city. We were meet at the airport by three Sergeants, who were called drill Sergeants. They greeted us politely and loaded us on a bus. Three hours later we arrived on the base where we got a rude awakening. They started shouting and yelling, which caught us by surprise, and was the beginning of two Months of hell. Wake up was five every morning by noise of trash cans banging in our rooms, doors slamming, and yelling and screaming, wake up you aren’t in your mothers bed. Once we were up, we quickly formed up outside in a formation of platoons, to began our daily training. The first thing we would do is stretch, then warm-up, which was jogging in place. After completing those tasks, we would go on a three to four mile run, which usually ends in half hour of push-up, sit-up and jumping jacks. We would quickly head to our rooms to shower, shave and get dress in our military uniform, so we can go eat breakfast. Everything was done as company, which consists of four to five platoons. Usually about one hundred to a hundred and twenty five soldiers makes up a company. After breakfast we would head to our basic training site, an open area in the woods, about a mile away from our living quarters. This was our first time together; so learning how to march as a group was challenging. Being in step with each other was very complicated at first, but by the time graduation came you best believe we would have it down pack.
Training consists of learning a variety of different classes. In the medical field, how administer CPR, apply a field dressing and turning kits, caring a wounded soldier and how to stop someone from bleeding to death. On movement, navigate a map with a compass and a map, reading the information on a map and identify the features. I was also thought how to identify and shoot weapons with precise accuracy. By the time of graduation, I was mentally and physically tough to be called a soldier.
I was then sent to Ft. Lee, Virginia for my job training. Yes everyone in the military has a skill set, which they do every day once they get to their duty station. I became logistician, which is managing, accounting and verifying movements of equipment and soldiers. I wanted to be a manager so I had to educate myself at every level to get to the top. I also attended college while I was in the military, and receive my associate degree in Business Management and Accounting.
During my years in the Army, I attended numerous schools and programs that prepaid for me senior positions. There are many books related to military techniques and history that was part of my military role. This was the Army method of educating and teaching soldiers to become leaders.
I retired as a Master Sergeant after 31years of service, which is one step away from the top level, in the Non Commission Officer Chain. I accomplished going to college while I was in the military, and receiving my associate in Business Management and Accounting. I am currently continuing my education that will allow me the opportunity to grow personally and professionally as a person. Learning to read, write, speak, comprehend, and communicate, will help me to be relevant and proficient in today’s diverse modern world.
Growing up in the Caribbean where literacy is such an important factor from junior to high school, sets the precedents for me to understand that education was the key to my success in life.