February 5, 2007 By Hook
Posted in Guest Blogger, Why We Serve
[The next guest blogger up in our “Why We Serve” series is none other than Sgt Hook. Sgt Hook will be attending the MilBlogging Conference in Washington DC and will be providing updates and reports about the conference on this blog, so be sure to check them out on the days surrounding May 5. We are sure you will enjoy his post in the “Why We Serve” series.]
I was born the son of a United States Coast Guardsman. His father an immigrant from Scotland who at age 14 arrived to Ellis Island and quickly went from the coal mines of Pennsylvania to the halls of a big city newspaper in Connecticut. He left Scotland after losing his father to the war, a proud warrior in the famed Scottish Black Watch Regiment.
My dad, my hero, the commander served some 28 plus years in the uniform of the United States Coast Guard first as an enlisted man, and later as an officer before retiring. As I moved towards maturity and my high school graduation, he tried to talk me into joining the service, any branch thereof, but at 18 years of age, having moved every three years while growing up, I wanted nothing more to do with military life.
Four years later, after dropping out of university and bouncing around from bartending job to bartending job, I joined the Army. I think it is important to note that why I joined is a bit different from why I serve. When I sat down with the recruiter, I was looking to put some direction into my life after leaving school and was very concerned with making enough money to pay on my student loans. I was adamant though in that I wanted a job that offered training in aviation so that I could use those skills as a civilian someday down the road.
Admittedly, patriotism and a sense of serving my nation were not upper most in my mind as I entered the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS); food, shelter, and bills most certainly were. I do think, however, that a sense of duty contributed to my decision in joining the Army (and not the Coast Guard is a post in itself). I say that because though I quite deftly negotiated for an aviation job with the Army counselor charged with drawing up my contract, the moment I stood flanked by our national colors with my right hand raised and swore an oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies, I felt my heart swell and I can sincerely say that it has not shrunk since, in almost 20 years.
“I, Sgt Hook, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”
But that was when I joined and why I joined, this post is titled Why We Serve. I have taken that very same oath 4 times over since that 21st day of May, 1987, re-enlisting and re-affirming my commitment to serve.
I think it safe to say that I continued to serve for a myriad of reasons over the years. Foremost was/is that I absolutely loved my job. I mean how cool is it to get paid a decent wage to fly helicopters all over the globe, learn to shoot five or six different weapon systems, meet women from several different countries, attend military schools that challenge your soul, forge friendships for life, and make a difference in the lives of others? It truly isn’t just a job, it is an adventure (at least I didn’t throw in “being all one can be”).
As I grew up, both personally and professionally, I found that I continued to enjoy serving. I relished in teaching young Soldiers the lessons that I had learned and found pride in watching many of them rise up and meet challenge after challenge.
I eventually settled down, a little, married and started a family and my reasons for serving became firmly entrenched within who I am. When my son was born and I held him for the first time I was instantly overcome with just how heavy of a responsibility I faced in raising him. It was not lost on me that my chosen profession, the profession of arms, protected his future, defended a way of life that would provide him, and all the other babies in the hospital nursery, with freedoms and opportunities not found anywhere else in the world.
We serve not for ourselves, but for others; our children, family, loved ones, and friends. We serve for those that served before us, desperate to not allow their sacrifices be for naught, determined not to let them down. We serve for those unable to serve themselves, offering hope and help that they may one day know liberty. We serve in hopes that those we serve will be proud of us. We serve with honor. We serve in victory. We serve. Sgt Hook out.
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February 4, 2007 By You Served Editorial Staff
Posted in Why We Serve
We have received so much positive feedback in the short time since CJ did his guest blogging post on “Why We Serve” that we have decided to do a series on the topic. If you would like to add your own post in the “Why We Serve” series, contact us by sending an email to blog -at- vamortgagecenter.com or leave a comment on this post.
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February 2, 2007 By CJ
Posted in Guest Blogger, Why We Serve
[The post is from CJ at Soldier’s Perspective. His blog won our Best MilBlog contest. CJ and Marcus donated the $2,500 to the Camp Lejeune Ballerinas. Well done fellows. We hope everyone enjoys this fantastic post by our guest blogger CJ.]
Kind of an all-inclusive title coming from just one Soldier. The fact is that there are as many reasons “why we serve” as there are Soldiers doing it. My goal is to give you a little information about my experiences over the past 12 years in the active duty Army that allow me to answer this question. I’ll start with why I serve.
I joined the Army in January 1995, three years after graduating high school. My father was a Command Master Chief (CMC), E-9, in the Navy. I grew up in the military. Some would say I’ve actually been serving my country for 33 years. But, the military wasn’t a natural option for me. I was a punk growing up. I generally stayed out of trouble, although I listened to heavy metal music and frequently dyed my hair bright colors. The day I joined the Army I had purple hair. My drill instructors called me Barney because after my initial buzz cut I still have a purple tint to my noggin. After high school, I became a DJ in overseas clubs in Japan and also worked as a loss prevention specialist in the Navy Exchange.
When I left Japan in 1994 (I graduated in 1992), I found myself almost broke and had gotten engaged to the most beautiful woman in the world. My sister was about to join the Army but backed out at the last minute and felt guilty for it. She gave her recruiter my name and said “he’ll join for sure”. I laughed when I got the call.
The recruiter wanted me to come in to take some tests, but I played hard to get and made him come to my house. After all, HE wanted ME. Recruiters don’t generally allow recruits to take these tests in home, but I did and scored well. Little by little I found myself sucked into the military lifestyle again. I wanted to be an MP, but at the time there was a height limit and I’m only 5′5″. Instead, I chose to become a linguist.
I think all along I knew deep down that I was going to join the military one day. I loved my country greatly, though guys that looked like I did don’t typically join the military. I looked up to my father and all that he had accomplished in the Navy. I loved travelling and, to be honest, the prospect of spending the rest of my life stuck in Florida didn’t appeal to me. I signed up for six years and haven’t looked back since.
I didn’t join for college money, though I paid into the GI Bill and have been taking advantage of the educational benefits. I’ve earned more than two years of college credit from my military experience without ever stepping into a classroom or taking a class. Honestly, I didn’t even join for travel. One of my childhood dreams was to become a truck driver, which would have fulfilled that need. And I didn’t do it for the money. I only got an $8000 bonus for joining (Soldiers now can get almost $40,000). My father made it clear that no one gets rich in the military. We lived comfortably on his CMC pay but definitely weren’t well off by any means. I still have my first few pay stubs that prove I wasn’t going be joining yacht clubs any time soon.
I joined the Army to become a man. I wanted to be able to support my future wife and do something noble with my life. There are worse things in life to do than serving one’s country.
Most of the Soldiers I’ve had the privilege to serve with feel the same way. We love our freedom so much that we’re willing to stake our lives on it. Soldiers died with a purpose. They died for something far more important than a pair of Nike shoes or a stereo system. They died for far more than road rage or a drunk driver. Their lives and their deaths had purpose. They died protecting people who have no influence over their lives. They died for people with different values, beliefs, religious convictions, and motives. In some cases, they died for people who would much rather have killed them themselves. But, they still died for something!! I would say that each of us live for something as well.
It is true that many people join the military for college, large bonuses, and the free medical care. I don’t think that you can find a Soldier who joined for that one specific purpose. Granted, it is a motivator, but it’s not the be-all-end-all of reasons. Soldiers have an inherent sense of selflessness that engrained in them. No one in their right mind would risk their lives on a battlefield just to pay off a college loan. They’re safer trying to rob a bank for the money. We do it because they love this country. We do it because they love freedom. We do it because we want others to have the success and freedoms we enjoy here at home. We do it for you.
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