An upstanding young man’s dreams of joining the military were dashed when he was hit by a stray bullet. All of this changed when the Army’s former top man stepped in and set things straight.

Although Nasair Boston-Epps grew up in a rough Philadelphia area, he did everything to live life right and stay positive.

According to American Military News, Boston-Epps is a cadet at the Philadelphia Military Academy and is a star player on the school’s rugby team.

Boston-Epps didn’t just apply himself in academics, either. After school, he would head to his job at McDonald’s and work to earn a paycheck. Walking to his shift one evening, everything changed.

A stray bullet hit Boston-Epps.

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The young man was determined to not let the wound stop his dream of joining the military.

Boston-Epps’ family history is full of other men who served their country, and he wanted to follow in their steps. His father, grandfather and great-great-grandfather were all veterans, having taken part in three wars between them.

Despite the wound nearly killing him, Boston-Epps eventually made a full recovery.

The wound would come back to haunt him when he tried to join the Army. The young man was informed that his bullet wound was a disqualifying condition, regardless of his own doctors clearing him.

Boston-Epps wouldn’t be discouraged this easily and showed up at the recruiting station on a regular basis to talk with the Army recruiter. The Philadelphia Inquirer even ran an article chronicling the young man’s journey.

In a twist of fate, it wasn’t Boston-Epps’ uncommon determination that eventually landed him a spot in the army, but the Inquirer article that ended up in the hands of a former Army leader.

Patrick Murphy, the former undersecretary of the Army appointed by former President Barack Obama, once held the highest civilian position in the Army. After learning about Boston-Epps, he quickly had the military re-evaluating the young man.

After taking a second look, Army physicians agreed Boston-Epps’ past injuries shouldn’t keep him from serving his country. The story of his dedication was also making an impression on Army brass.

This is exactly the type of person we are looking for in the United States Army,” said Lt. Col. Brendan Toolan, commander of the Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Battalion. “This is a kid who had a goal of joining the military and made it happen, and a lot of it was sheer determination.”

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If every young man were as driven as soon-to-be Pvt. Boston Epps, our nation would look much different than it does today.

Thankfully instead of losing a good man to a mountain of red tape and regulations, it looks like the United States Army is going to gain an outstanding soldier who is virtually guaranteed to leave a positive mark on the branch.

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