The Reasons Why I Serve My Country

Major Joel Dillon
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."


My name is Joel Dillon, and I am a Major in the United States Army. I have been associated with the military for 17 years and have been on active duty for the past 13 years. The purpose of this essay is to explain why I originally chose to serve my country, and why I continue to serve now.

I joined the Army on June 28th, 1993 shortly after graduating from high school. I had been fortunate enough to be able to attain an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, and I started my Army career there as a freshman, or “Plebe.” Obtaining an appointment had been a complicated and time-consuming process, but deciding to attend West Point was not a difficult decision for me. I am from a family of limited means in West Virginia and the son of a coal miner. With the encouragement of my parents, I had worked very hard as a student in school so that I could obtain enough scholarship money for a college education. Due to my good performance, I received offers from many high-quality civilian schools and service academies during my senior year in high school. However, I chose to join the Army and attend West Point. The four primary reasons I chose this route are outlined below.

The first and foremost reason I chose to serve was because I felt that I had a duty to give back to the country that has given me so much. I have always been patriotic, and I have also always respected members of the military and what they do to protect our nation. I wanted to do my part as well. My father, my uncle, and both of my grandfathers had served in the military, and they valued the skills and experiences the military had given to them. My community respected members of the military, and that played an important role in my decision as well. I saw it as my duty as a citizen to help support the nation.

The second reason I chose to serve was because I wanted to receive an education. As I mentioned earlier, I had worked very hard during school to have the opportunity to go to college, and I wanted to receive a top-notch education in engineering. Given the fact that I also wanted serve my nation, West Point seemed to provide me with the perfect combination – offering an incredible college education and also the opportunity to serve the nation and give back to my community as an officer once I graduated. West Point is also a highly-respected institution, and its graduates have gone on to achieve many great things. This was very appealing to me, and I when I was offered the opportunity to attend, I did not hesitate to accept, even though I knew it would be very challenging. I have never once regretted that decision. In fact, it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

The third reason I chose to serve was to have the chance to lead Soldiers. The American Soldier represents the best that America has to offer. I wanted to lead, and I also wanted to serve in the Infantry. The first day I arrived at West Point, during a brief respite from the yelling of upperclassmen, my new roommate asked me why I decided to come there. I told him that I wanted to be an Infantry officer and lead Soldiers in combat. Now 17 years later, I am an Infantry officer who was given the extraordinary opportunity to lead Soldiers in combat during Operation Iraqi Freedom. I would not trade those experiences for the world.

The final reason I joined the military was to gain valuable job experience. When I initially went to West Point, I was not sure how long I intended to stay in the Army, but I knew that having military experience would be valuable to many employers. I made the commitment to myself before I graduated from West Point that I would only stay in the Army as long as I was having fun. Now, over 13 years later, and after multiple training and combat deployments, I can say with confidence that I am still having fun. The leadership and management experience that I have received has been truly incredible. Additionally, I am now moving into the Army Acquisition Corps where I will be an Assistant Product Manager for Soldier equipment. The experience I will gain in this new line of work will also be very valuable in the civilian sector when I eventually retire from the Army.

Looking back on my decision to serve the military at this point in my life, I must say that I would not change anything. The Army has given me incredible opportunities that would not have been possible if I had not decided to serve. I have been given enormous responsibilities; I have been challenged on a daily basis; I have seen parts of the world that few other Americans will ever see; and I have grown as a leader, as a person, and a citizen. The Army also recently sent me back to school to receive my Master’s Degree from an Ivy League college. It is hard to believe that the son of a West Virginia coal miner has been given the opportunities that the Army has given me. That is what is so great about our nation and about our military, and that is why I chose to serve and why I am happy to continue serving now.