The reasons I serve my country

Major Jennifer Snelson
Student, Command and General Staff School
U.S. Army Combined Arms Center
Fort Belvoir, Virginia

"The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government."

There are many reasons people choose to serve in the military. For some, it is a sense of patriotism. Others join out of a sense of civic duty. For many, it is simply a means to an end. It is a way to pay for school or improve one’s socioeconomic status. My choice to serve my country encompasses all of these and more.
I am one of many who grew up in the military culture. My father was an infantry officer who loved his job. He loved the idea of protecting the citizens of the United States from what was sometimes a known, and sometimes an unknown, enemy. He was a defender of everything that makes this nation great. There is no doubt, his patriotism and sense of duty provided the foundation for who I have become. Patriotism and selfless service were the way of life then and have continued to be the way of life now.
All too often, people take what they have for granted. Living in Germany in the time of the Cold War, I learned that the freedoms we have come at a price. Nowhere was this more evident than the Berlin Wall. What a striking demarcation of the difference between democracy and communism. I wish everyone could have seen this. It truly brings home the freedoms Americans have and how fragile those freedoms are. I knew then, and now, if it were not for the men and women who serve this great nation, we could easily lose our freedoms that we value so greatly. I admired their sacrifice for the greater good and viewed them as true role-models to be looked up to.
Although, the Cold War has long been over, the threat to the United States and its ideals and values is no less today than they were then. We are simply fighting a different enemy. I know now, as I always have, that without men and women, who have ingrained in them a sense of duty to the nation, we are in great peril of losing our way of life. Each and every member of the armed services has made the conscious decision to make the sacrifices to protect these rights. I am glad to be one of them and cannot imagine a greater profession than that of protecting this great country and everything it stands for.
Yes, I originally joined the military out of my military upbringing. I, along with every other member of the military, have endured hardships out of a sense of duty- a need to protect what I and the American people value so greatly, our freedom. A never faltering patriotism to this great nation reminds me and my family why I do what I do every day. These are not the only reasons I continue to serve though.
What may be the greatest reason of all for my continued service to this country is my duty to my fellow soldier. Tours in Iraq and Afghanistan opened my eyes to what exactly the price is for our freedoms. Treating wounded and dying soldiers, many of whom are still in their teens, has driven home to me the cost of what we as a nation often take for granted. It amazes me day after day the imminent dangers our servicemen and women are willing to endure to protect this country and what it stands for. I know that often their courage stems from the knowledge that their battle buddies, unit members and eventually the Army’s medical department will take care of them. When others are willing to sacrifice so much on faith, I cannot walk away. I know that I endure nothing compared to these brave young men and women. They are the true heroes and deserve to have the best treatment waiting for them.
For anyone who questions why people serve this country, I encourage you to come to the nation’s capitol and visit Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Bethesda National Naval Medical Center, and any of the surrounding military medical facilities. First, you will be shocked by the sacrifices our Wounded Warriors and their family members have made in the protection of the United States. More importantly though, you will be filled with awe at the unwavering patriotism and sense of duty these unsung heroes still display.
Everyday, I reflect on the sacrifices our young servicemen and women make. I know that somewhere, someone is willingly going into danger to protect our freedoms on the pure faith that they will be taken care of. This sense of duty and act of faith are what keep me in this profession I have chosen. There is no greater career than caring for those who are willing to sacrifice everything for the freedom of our nation.