Service: A Soldier's Journey: Counterintelligence, Law Enforcement, and the Violence of Urban Education

Sergeant Dennis Nappi II is a veteran of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. In 2002 he was deployed to Bosnia where he worked as a Counterintelligence Special Agent. While deployed, he was a part of a team searching for a terrorist cell actively gathering intelligence against US Soldiers. Upon completion of his military service, Dennis tried to re-assimilate back into civilian life while coping with post traumatic stress disorder. He was eventually hired as a police officer where he endured more training, faced violent suspects, and struggled with the impacts of the choices he was forced to make each shift. Through his experiences on the street, Officer Nappi decided he could have a greater impact as a teacher where he hoped to reach children before they ended up making serious mistakes. In 2008, Mr. Nappi was hired as a Philadelphia Teaching Fellow where he was assigned to teach 7th grade special education. His students were violent, challenging, and in need of guidance. Despite the almost daily threats and assaults from his students, he received no help from the administration and found himself relying heavily on his training and experience as both a soldier and police officer in order to survive his first year in the classroom. Service, Dennis Nappi II's first book, details his experiences from boot camp to summer vacation, and brings to light the dire straits facing our youth and the world that surrounds them.