Serving My Country

We all raise our right hand, say the oath, and sign a contract to join the Unites States Army for various reasons. As the years progress we make the command decision to continue or to separate. I made the decision to continue to serve my country. Three reasons for me being a part of the military and serving my country are having a sense of pride in oneself and country, being able to develop and grow as a leader as well as an individual, and doing something I enjoy.


The Army allows me to be proud of who I am and what I do for a living. It has given me a sense of direction, where I am able to set, implement, and enforce standards for myself. These standards are a part of my values I live by as a Soldier and an American. During basic training, you are taught to build your confidence through a series of events you have to accomplish prior to graduation. These events set the foundation for building your pride. For example, being able to pass an APFT by Army Regulation, fire and qualify on an M-16, and complete a land navigation course with basic skills taught helped to build pride in oneself by achieving a certain level of confidence through my accomplishments. This level of confidence has allowed me to realize I can accomplish those most difficult tasking given. I continue to build my pride through my accomplishments today.

Family, friends, neighbors, and even strangers have contributed to the level of pride instilled in oneself and country by providing moral support and believing in what you represent. This became evident with the events of 9/11 as well as Iraq and Afghanistan. As an organization we have built a lot of pride in our country by defending our nation and supporting our allies. I am proud of my country for what we have done, are doing and will continue to do. We are a nation that supports its allies as well as take care of its own. The level of pride in oneself and country has contributed to my development and growth as a leader and individual.

Many factors have contributed to me developing and growing as a leader in the Army and as an individual. My growth as a leader is attributed to self assessment, mentorship/coaching from others, and learning from mistakes. Being able to truly assess one self and implement changes as needed has helped me professionally and personally. I have learned to receive both good and bad criticism in order to mold myself into a better leader and a better person. Having mentors/coaches to assist throughout my career has been beneficial. Various professional development courses and training within the military has also assisted with my growth. As a leader, it’s important to recognize your growth and take the necessary steps to develop one self. I am definitely a better leader and person because of being able to assess oneself, receiving mentorship/coaching from others and learning from my mistakes. Learning from my mistakes has given me the opportunity to grow and enjoy what I do for a living.

It’s worthwhile serving my country as long as I know I am making a difference. Making a difference for someone or something allows you to appreciate what you are doing. You have to enjoy what you do for a living in order to be happy within yourself. I enjoy learning various skill sets and concepts and later applying them to my job. I enjoy serving my country with others from different cultures. It gives me the opportunity to learn about various cultural backgrounds. I enjoy being a leader and helping others. I often thank people for recognizing the importance of what we do as Soldiers when thanked for serving my country. Being an Army Officer and serving my country has been rewarding for both me and my family.

MAJ L. Stubblefield-Peak

Student, Command and General Staff School

U.S. Army Combined Arms Center

Fort, Belvoir, VA



“The views expressed in this BLOG are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Dept. of the Army, Dept. of Defense, or the U.S. Government.”