I did some really, really stupid shit as a teenager. I was a really bad kid on a path that ended with prison but I just hadn't been caught for anything serious yet. The moment that changed it all was a cop that cared.

I got pulled over and arrested for a warrant when I was 18. It was for a failure to appear on a speeding ticket of all things. He was going to have to take me to the county jail two hours away. He sat me in the front seat and we talked about life the entire ride. It was a small town so I'm sure he had heard my name a few times.

I had been thinking of joining the military to escape the small town life and start over but just couldn't find a reason to finally do it. He told me he had done the same stupid shit and joining the Army was the best thing he had ever done. I decided right then that it was my time to go and told him so.

I sat in jail over the weekend, scared to death and nervous as hell the whole time. On monday morning he drove two hours on his day off to bring me breakfast and stand in front of the judge with me. The judge dismissed every charge on the word of this officer that I was joining the Army and he would look out for me until I shipped out. I hadn't even met a recruiter yet.

He drove me to the recruiting station that day and accompanied me every time I met the recruiters to make sure I didn't get fucked over. I was in the army a week later and ended up with an awesome job that gave me the credentials to be very successful in the civilian world.

I don't think I would have ever joined without someone to guide me through it. I haven't seen him in nine years, the day I shipped out. I don't even remember his name but I owe that guy more than he could ever know.