Hi, friends. This is Ray. Let me introduce you to Snap Judgment, a storytelling radio show and

podcasts that transports you into someone else's world. A show that has generously allowed me a

platform to introduce you to mine. A show that presents stories that are profound, provocative, richly scored, and hosted by the amazing podcast Hall of Famer, Glenn Washington.

Listener supported, WNYC Studios.

Thank you. Listener supported, WNYC Studios. From WNYC Studios. And SNAPJJT's Orb orbiting Hall of Justice. Welcome back to Snap Judgment

that we're on a plane episode.

And you might think

that you've had reason for alarm in your own past,

but they're our next story.

A longtime friend of the show, Ray Christian.

And aside from being a storytelling legend,

Ray's an Army man. Snap judgment.

Snap judgment.

In 1984, I was a 22-year-old young sergeant assigned to an airborne infantry battalion.

We were paratroopers.

I was stationed at Fort Bragg.

We'd conduct night combat equipment jumps that would involve thousands of paratroopers at once.

The training was dangerous, and it wasn't unusual for us to have guys severely injured or even killed during these training operations.

We had young soldiers in the company that were Grenada vets, and our senior NCOs, a lot of them were Vietnam vets,

without young soldiers who were just chomping at the bit to get a chance at combat.

Guys start doing drugs, guys start drinking, guys have problems with their wives, their girlfriends.

Morale in the company was starting to drop.

...