2 minute read
A Soldier Fights for His (New) Life
A Soldier Fights for His (New) Life
Caleb Woods, a military veteran and freshman international rescue and relief major, tells about his first day at Union College.
As a career soldier, Caleb Woods found facing a new calling far scarier than any combat situation.
Photo Credit: Union College
People always ask me what makes me most nervous about starting college. I usually say moving to a new place by myself.
In reality, being in school and sitting in a classroom more than 10 years after high school terrifies me. As a 30-year-old and a combat veteran, I don’t think I’ve ever felt more out of place than sitting behind these multicolored (and undersized) desks here at Union.
I’ve been to war several times. During the years I was deployed, it felt like I got to know Afghanistan better than I know my hometown of Chicago. It’s hard to explain, and it doesn’t make sense to most people, but I feel more comfortable under enemy fire than in the relative safety of a college campus.
During freshman orientation, the speakers talked about finding our path and discovering our purpose. It was a strange sensation to sit among 18- and 19-year-old students while many declared that this was their first time away from home. There was so much innocence and hope, but I couldn’t help but feel like I’ve already lived out my purpose.
Something Rich Carlson wrote in his first “Good Morning Union” message stuck with me, though, and I can’t shake it despite my ongoing resistance to everything religious. He wrote:
These are simple words, but they impacted me more than I expected. I’ve been living in the past, dwelling on what I used to be instead of what is in front of me. My thoughts have been consumed with the military every waking moment of every day since I enlisted.
I will never forget what I learned in the army, and I’ll never forget my experiences in Afghanistan—both good and bad. I’m doing my best to move forward, though, and begin “cultivating a life of the soul,” as my dad puts it.
My palms are a little sweaty, and my hands are shaking because I’m not usually one to tell how I feel. But I’m doing my best to follow Pastor Rich’s advice, and I’m doing my best to let go of the past and look forward to an amazing future.
Caleb Woods is a freshman international rescue and relief major at Union College.
