Maharaj,

It's been a long while since I last wrote to you, I still occasionally think back to when I last saw you and declared I was going to enlist into the U.S. Army and you wanted me to send you a letter sometime about it.

I graduate my final training here at Ft. Sam in San Antonio, TX here in just 6 days as a medic/health care specialist. It's been a bit of a ride and I'm definitely happy I decided to join because all the benefits, education and opportunity for funding for more education in the future makes sense, but regretful because I had many opportunities to stay a vegeterian but neglected it in hopes I'd just bounce back to it after I leave the Army. But I see now that the lord has given me many, many opportunities to stay vegeterian that I've neglected. Yes.. I can feel that Karma coming to hit me later on.

HpS - ASA --- Yesssss....  those poor creatures have been murdered with aims at satisfying your demands for consumption.    It is terrible. .....-[;[[ _____

Sometimes I still question if I made the right choice, but It also seems like all roads led to this at my life. It really isn't so bad in comparison to the comforts of a civilian lifestyle. Everyone has good and bad days. My biggest regret is not signing up 4 years ago at age 17 instead of waiting until now, I feel like I made a big error not doing so. Alongside the present I feel like theres a seperate/multiple timelines of Reilly Grindles that made different, better choices than the Reilly typing this letter out to you now.

I have to ask a question though Maharaj, it seems that at many/sometimes I often have ill luck fall on me in terms of my actions and character affecting others. The most painful thing for me is always coming up negatively on the radar among my peers, being the one that sticks out because of a small error or forgetting something no matter how hard I might attempt to lay-low. Is this my sinful karma manifesting? However since It's been so bad I've been bowing my head to lord Narayana daily to ask for assistance in this and even making the attempt to go to Catholic church every Sunday just to give respect and thanks to the Lord. Bowing my head to the lord gives me a good sense of calm and hope and often has helped me. In some ways I feel this is a gentle reminder not to forget the lord, even if I signed off to submit to the army life.

I've been assigned to an aviation airbase outside of Seoul in South Korea as my first duty station for 12 months with the 2nd Infantry Division. I was pretty surprised when I found out I was heading to Korea, let alone an aviation unit. Pretty fortunate luck and a chance to travel again for a while, I'll do my best to make the best of it, especially education wise.  I definitely don't have plans for any troublemaking! I will miss being able to visit Boise and family for that year though. Hopefully I'll have a few days after graduation to stay in Boise and maybe even come by and say hello to everyone at the Temple before I go. The future seems uncertain, but I pray that all my actions somehow lead me closer down the road to being a better servant of the lord's servants by all the experience, education and learned lessons, (however painful). Prayer and medicine go hand-in-hand like water and sunshine. I also hope your health is well and again want to say thanks for all your mercy, tolerance and wisdom.

Your Servant,

(Pvt.) Reilly G.

HpS - ASA -- Go to strict vegetarian diet. Don't cause the death and suffering of these creatures.  Teach others to do the same so that Krsna does not suffer seeing these people suffer. https://www.vedabase.com/en/sb/1/7/37