For a decade Bermudian David Perinchief was a Marine, fighting in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and earning awards including the Purple Heart along the way.

And now at the age of 29 he is contemplating something few people his age have even thought about, what to do now that he has retired.

He joined the Marines, known for their bravery and brotherhood, in September 2000. By the time 9/11 happened a year later he had completed his training. Three years later he was fighting in Afghanistan and was promoted to Corporal.

His service there earned him the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for his "superior performance" in leading his team. Soon after he went to fight in Iraq as Sergeant, winning another award for his service [see story in News]. In total he completed 400 combat missions in two war zones

His career ended on June 29, 2010 as a result of a serious injury he sustained in Iraq.

"I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said. "We were in the midst of a fight and I was running through a hall to check on another group of men and organise them when a RPG exploded right next to me.

"The explosion picked me up off my feet and threw me back, I smashed my hip and pelvis."

Instead of asking for medical leave to allow his injury to heal Mr. Perinchief continued on for another two months.

"In the Marines we have a saying for dealing with injuries, 'Motrin, ice and water'," he said. "I kept on doing missions for another two months until I could barely walk and realised this was more than 'Motrin, ice and water'."

When he got back to the US and was checked out by a military hospital it turned out he had two bilateral hip displacements. Correcting it involved painful surgeries and two years of rehabilitation. He spent the time training others at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina and taking on other camp based leadership roles.

Eventually he felt ready to return to the war zone, but on one of his first training missions his hip "popped out".

"I realised then that I wouldn't be able to fight again," he said.

Soon after he decided to rejoin the civilian world. The transition has been hard, but he is committed to keeping busy and looking forward.

"I miss it like you wouldn't believe," he told The Royal Gazette, speaking of his time as a marine. "It is hard to describe how you can be in the most horrible situation and still have a smile on your face.

"It is who I am, a Marine. I will always be a Marine, even though I am not active. The friends I have made there are priceless and I will always have them, and the friends that I have lost as a Marine I will never forget.

"I think every young man should go through some form of military training, it teaches you a lot of life lessons; discipline, team work. It teaches you that in order to be a good leader you need to know how to follow a good leader. A lot of times in Bermuda you have young people thinking they can walk into top jobs when they haven't put the work in and haven't learnt from people ahead of them.

"In the military every ounce of respect you have you have earned and you are rewarded for your hard work."

Looking froward, Mr. Perinchief said he is sitting Massachusetts insurance exams today. He is also looking at options within the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency and getting paper work in order to be a National Rifle Association instructor.