The Gatherer

By SFC Tammy J. Goodwin

When my mother and stepfather signed me up to join the army at the age of seventeen, I don't really remember my reaction. I do remember that I had no idea what the army was. I had never been more than ten miles up or down the road, and that was mostly from riding the school bus. My life at that time consisted of books. If the paper had words on it, then it was in my hands. I loved stories. I loved the way the story would allow me to feel the emotion of the experience coming off the paper. For example, my seven-year-old nephew asked me one day, "Do you want to see my imagination?" I instantly said, "Yes, yes I would." Through the years, the army provided the opportunity to experience different cultures and meet some amazing people. I invite you to turn the page, and as you read, use your imagination to see and feel my experiences, starting with my second deployment to Iraq.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Dec 18, 2015
• ISBN: 9781512723793

SFC Tammy J. Goodwin

SFC Tammy J. Goodwin, USAR, has over twenty-five years serving in the United States Army and Army Reserve. She entered the military at the age of seventeen, when she left her humble home in the hills of West Virginia. Her duty assignments include over ten years of overseas posts in Budapest, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, Prague, Bonn, Kaiserslautern, Paris, Romania, and four deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Book preview

��kQabook_preview_excerpt.html�Zے�6��d��*��n�}\�j۱Ӟ�r��qe� a� ��(O��s^�N�����|ɬ�
Pj�{�*�D��}Y{�M=N_�a�����_��N�?P�^�K�u[�f�^;Wol?S/�~��gw��g��Y�*��7��+S��;���rK�¹���V-�����=xW��[������L��[͔iM���:S5��)�W�X�~���EWAr\̰h�|-_����_:��h]�Bt^��Go͕nU؆h:���qc��Fm����j0��!p��(=b�W�����J�
��T_Fe��L�p��91�š<��zl՚�j�qe�&LJ����O�6ί�r�������\}�1;(����b��ES����Ҽ�Ek��k��Ck+�j�^��P���Kӫj��ږ��k�r}ԶO���[�Fp]R����b����52dhu����2��V��x,�������^A�I%�L���F}���^�b���u8�;������R�p} ��}�r���=��]��%61���ֹ.|��������{����f��o ��m 1�\�NjӲ����Çߩ''���O�ߝ�5��kP�����G?�=� |o�L\ucJ�5w� �jm��鞁%e|��4 <�իd5��`��a�g$��-��ۋ��+d����ybךv��nw�=/��O�� �[�f�fs����g78(��kmC�j�Q�Hva[��9��a�d'�̀I'@�W����t�+['�A|A���\ �IℱjҜ ��("��}mێ!zh��b�����v�/�Z���
��]�����=UO�c��<::������m���c=9���5����^���+!�/�V�;8�S
�''w?�{sH
������+�Y =�d���D� ��8%�7����:o����m�>�>� z�U��ok����}r}�%�j�~q#���3h%1�#�3��{���5���j���߽��l@�%/۫W�^��'�2Y�)�[�A��Hf�yr��p�7�����Iy|����bIJ�����;�W?
�p@�K��BַM�w�;祃n+Z9��ʍN{��:V ��8��'PCƌ��'k>Ug�^��5�E"��@�"+��U�- �;K�j�14�&Mv�&;�Td6�[��f�LE� pJ6�8/�k�޷�^]��'K�1So�\��px��@Z዆�,p0t����E҇�]!{�QA#�X��D`iH 1K1��W+���&��t0aŜΧ� ��?~��pm�> LBp7"�͐~�j@���ε����@���UH��<�^Қ!��ї� c��&��唜��#S����r�g�8 m&���N�$y��(��.T�A>���n=r��A���O�|o��z���K��I�1�;�G:�Y�ԣ�|�d�2Pt��,�!(ˈ$yr�n��K-�A[��g_�����ӹƁ������� !�5d���5�,f=v��i6L0W���W[�=���;B*����?#�ԭи.
]��:�{(=�$%o���0W�>�;B�p.D�e5�� Fk�I��N��,X��w.�6g5o��k�/-F�&n/"��eUBh�h��)3R=�zj��Z��F���Ev�~;�쾖�6ȳS~�ݐ�a����FdD�,"0h�ie'�U���HT����*������,!&<���`=(uh�ytX'0S�x%�O٠̣��@^j{�����g{�/�?�b8Y��Q�C♒;����u���%FB���8���)F�T��։�6Hm~m{)�7�dz �� i��r!n)n���\��;@��2�5^���7h)q�E�e[�"�����p7��� ��4���Á�0>�K��4�qZ�`�L�6(���>�D������`��N��� ��q�Y�D��-\[Uc�b2�#@-R��N�&=��x�Ԡ�7?k8V��\S�f������o4�L��b�P�ՈG�]������2{�K�<����QDjX2�{�EF�eu�õPu�1�69[H�D��o"C�u��'��,۟�����ه�~�D�ݯ�ō��M����ϐ�Ǘ�&�)���tKm[�FRz1�NF�����2`�����''�H|�&T�.̴���� R~]���� �5^�"�P9-iÚn�㽒+�(O� L�`���A<.��� ��53��d�_m!��{������,^�-�8%A�*�:��@ḕ��u%���uB�%P�x4n�n2]o#i�\��������T�)���� G:����q����1R���a�������4a4��օ]�0�J�L�Z�+ǿd&l��Wz\$�OhI)��%
W��mx]c�K�@���
��ė���j'R�tV�^F��x�iE j��l_�<��M�!�$ᗹ�� -�_
a}lD�i]���s���Ftqi{��S�K�d�j#�N�.��PVq��!��z7��W8w���l�.=Z@�[C�3M_Kv-۱�'hO�<-�/A�"�2[��]3b;�I��K�;6�Ǣ�DBg���v*�N(�qɄ'|�#��iZ�����'z}}��o�Q��$�9T\ �*sX�1.�{�� �b�9'�(�]{&�a��me����D=2Ļ!o�5���D��)�3���7 aAK&ү�f�Sd�di�M".dmoc/&��| ��-U�X|���#�����D����XH��v��Τ��MK|0����I�v)�s�!#� $O3��eCJ��@�j�|_��γ��T|�+���"������k��dg����%6�-��̿CWE*ϗ��+�Y����0�����!�ݕc��p� M�oCC�[^��h�� �df�>�H����V`£��eTW�ዩ��\Wv`~$.� b�g�8!pR�pa�� � �,�t��^_Pu�kݴ��I1!�U�ōJ��%Ut4y������ ���$�����X/�8��k膊H�t+� �?���ѯ=:XJ�l���mF���S��ا�Ky��,�
���DLP��\\ 3"�̩ Ť�s���(RZlv�*�A�,�ݟ��+�,^3�� f�e+���Hy<�\Il|�T؂K@���� �����|��hbI_<�\銝��]��K��!t ��t��"B���-~:C��\<�S�90��� ��� Ņ����K'U3K"zLbT���D� ���!�xl��֭�R��t��
$A��P��3>�81|�h�=�ǒj���'�i�=���"�GyC��"��^�Ǐ}�B��g�t�NY�<�� �*�����X�s��,��$D(��.*��ؔ�Fo��[�,uas��sJK��L &�U�6���O%6E<��GK�S*{�,�O�d�Q8�5H���mf�X�cz��"+����؅>C���R9�����[�k��o� ���� ̳pV��8��=gg\I���c?�^��,]\��U��m����0��׊�6q��j-���m`M� S;9�Jo%Q�%�J �����C�! 浖��!(<��

Enjoying the preview?

Subscribe to continue reading