A U.S. Marine who survived two mass shootings is getting ready to be deployed to Afghanistan in two weeks for his first tour of duty.

Brendan Kelly, 22, told The New York Times in an article published Wednesday that his experience living through the mass shootings in Las Vegas and Thousand Oaks, Calif., only galvanized his desire to serve his country abroad in the new year, so he can protect fundamental freedoms at home — including the right to bear arms.