Cold, Purple, Electric -11/25/14-

Cold

Purple

Electric

American Solider -11/17/14-

I think this is one of the most powerful photos in the slide show, it shows soldiers coming hove to a warm reception of brother sisters mothers father and lovers. It represents the end of a hardship for everyone involved and an over whelming amount of love and acceptance.

At home in Denver image 1- 9
Basic Training 10- 49
Iraq 50-75
Back in Denver 76- 82

I think the Back in Denver photos are the most powerful for many of the reasons in the caption above. It shows a solider coming home to a loving and caring community that missed him. It's a family being reunited.

I think the photos work well to tell a story, we follow Ian as he goes through what most of us won't and it gives us an insider's look into his transition from normal life to solider.

Most of the captions were in present tense.

I think the captions help us to put a timeline in our head with the facts of where Ian was and what he was doing while the photos show us the emotional journey.

Ian helps hang Christmas lights to make the platoon's operations center welcoming and homely around Christmas. Ian had been asked by 1st Lt. Robert Munoz to help hang the lights on December 1st to give the soldiers a safe and comforting place to call home.

Ian rips the photo of his girlfriend when he learned that she was seeing someone else.  Kristen had punt a new boyfriend back home while Ian was away.

Ian strains to lift weights in the gym as per his usual schedule. Ian goes to the gym every day to work out and improve his abilities.