LOGAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan -When U.S. Army Pvt. Christopher Adams was in 8th grade, he knew he wanted to be a paratrooper. He had just finished the HBO mini-series "Band of Brothers," about the men of the 101st Airborne Division and their fight through the battlefields of World War II. Seeing them jump from planes while taking fire and fight their way across Europe grabbed the attention and imagination of the 8th grade Adams, and he was sold. He knew what he wanted to do and he knew how to do it.

Now at 22 years old, Adams is deployed with Task Force 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team for the second time as a 240 gunner with D. Company, 1st Battalion. 503rd Infantry Regiment, helping to transition Afghanistan’s Logar province to the protection of the Afghan National Security Forces.

The path from his home in West Palm Beach, Fla., to the hill he sits on now overwatching a patrol, is paved with hard work, determination and a desire to realize the dream of being a paratrooper.

“Obviously, the war was going on so every day I was on YouTube watching videos of Iraq and Afghanistan,” he said. “I started running to lose weight.”

However, his motivation eventually waned and he ended up losing sight of his goal.

“I was a high school dropout,” said Adams. “I just didn’t like school and I was more interested in doing the party thing.”

After Adams dropped out, he joined Job Corps to finish his high school diploma and earn a certification as an auto mechanic. But life had other plans.

“They had a pre-military program there,” he said. “I was in it right away and I went full throttle. The instructor was a retired first sergeant and he kept me straight while I was there.”

As Adams worked through the program, he had plenty of work ahead of him. In addition to classes and his pre-military program, he also had weight to lose before he would be able to join the Army. In October 2009, Adams got his high school diploma, and 80 lbs. lighter, joined the Army.

He arrived in Vicenza, Italy, to the 173rd Airborne and within a week joined the unit in Afghanistan in May 2010. As the unit looked to deploy a second time, Adams had a choice to make: leave the unit, or extend for another deployment.

“I extended to come on this deployment,” he said. “There were too many new guys and I thought we needed more combat experience.”

Now, more than a month into his second deployment to Afghanistan, he faces another choice. A choice that every service member must make eventually.

“I’m trying to decide to stay in or get out,” he said. “I don’t mind the Army life and I always wanted to be infantry and jump out of planes, so I’m leaning on staying in.”

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