Christopher Joy:  

Life Where to begin? Graduation I guess. After school, I went to work for my dad while I waited to go to Marine boot camp. As some of you might remember, I enlisted our senior year. I shipped off to MCRD San Diego in November of '92 and earned the title Marine Feb. '93. I married my high school sweetheart on Feb. 21st while on leave. I went to various schools before being assigned to an aviation squadron in Camp Pendleton, CA. I deployed in 1995 aboard the USS New Orleans and spent six months at sea visiting various ports like Hong Kong, Singapore, Jordan, Australia, and others. My whole life changed on Feb. 9th 1996 when I was diagnosed with cancer. I underwent two operations and am now considered cured. After a short recovery, I reenlisted and moved to Camp Lejeune, NC in 1997. I deployed to Norway in 1999 and volunteered for recruiting duty in 2000. I asked for and was assigned to Billings, MT. My daughter, Elizabeth, was born in Dec. of 2001. I ended my tour on recruiting duty in Jan. 2003 after being selected to Warrant Officer. I went to the The Basic School for officers and then to Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Warfare Officers School before being assigned to the 3rd Battalion 6th Marines in August of 2003. I served 7 months in Afghanistan where I earned my Combat Action Ribbon and was promoted to Chief Warrant Officer 2 in August 2004. I returned to NC in Dec 2004. I completed a 7 month tour in Al Qaim, Iraq where I earned my second Combat Action Ribbon in battle there, returning home in late March of 2006. I was in Iraq again from December 2006 to July 2007. After I returned, my family ...Expand for more