Why I joined the Army

There are many occupations or callings that American men and women can endeavor towards.  Some career paths draw people who are intellectual, where other careers are attractive for the opposite and require no critical thinking. Some folks gravitate towards careers that offer excitement regularly while others prefer predicability and security.  Some folks insist on careers that are very altruistic in that they are socially responsible or even of unimpeachable ethical standards, where others may slide towards a life of crime where dishonestly and selfishness are required as a core competency.  In my opinion, the profession of arms promises the best characteristics from among all of those other career paths, yet it demands the highest sacrifice from those who choose it.  Therefore, someone who opts to become a soldier has to be the best that America has to offer and benefits in the satisfaction of serving as a result. I am a soldier for a variety of reasons; chiefly because I think highly enough of myself that I am the kind of person the Army’s high standards require.

As I stated in the previous paragraph, there are a multitude of reasons or motivating factors that lead our nation’s men and women to want to serve.  Many are selfless “greater purpose” pursuits, but just as many are due to the tremendous benefits that come from fulfilling one’s commitment.  A few examples of selfless are duty, honor, and country.  Some examples of the benefits are travel, assistance with (or free) college education, or to gain job skills.  There are a handful of factors that motivate me to serve our country such as the greater opportunities I’ve benefited from, and the pride feel for knowing that I serve alongside America’s most elite young men and women but probably the chief factor that pushed me to serve in the Army would be the patriotism and sense of duty I feel because of the example my Uncle Terry has shown me.

My family has a long tradition of military service as do many other Americans.  I don’t know too much about it prior to the twentieth century but I can say that I’ve seen pictures and heard stories about my grandfathers and most of my great uncles serving in both WWI and WWII.  My father served one enlistment in Quartermaster in the early 1960’s as well as an Army Reservist throughout my childhood.  As I look back, I recall feeling awfully proud of him and awed by the mystique of his uniform.

However, my father’s brother, Terry, was my primary role model for becoming a soldier.  It wasn’t only because of my childish, romanticized perspective of what it meant to be a soldier; the cold blooded, steely-eyed killer who destroyed the enemy on every continent and ‘blew stuff up’.  It was also because as I got older and became aware of what my Uncle Terry had both accomplished and endured during 27 years of active duty in the Army and another 12 years in the Army Reserves.

He retired as a Command Sergeant Major with combat tours in the Battle of the Bulge in 1944 immediately after he enlisted to a combat tour in the Korean War.  However, what makes me so proud of him is that he was an Infantryman on the front lines suffering through the snow and freezing cold as well as the terror of being attacked by the German soldiers at any given minute…whether he was was feeling sorry for himself because of the cold or not.

If that weren’t enough to inspire immense pride and awe in his young nephew, almost ten years after his time with the 75^th Infantry Division in the Ardennes in 1944, he again found himself in combat and extreme peril.

Now with the 2^nd Infantry Division near a town called Namwon, Korea, he was one of the senior NCO’s in his company headquarters.  He was the company supply sergeant.  This normally means that his place of duty was safe in the rear with the company CP and that he wasn’t going out on daily patrols where he’d most likely get into a firefight with the enemy.  Unfortunately, during one battle, his entire company was rolled up.  Unlce Terry’s company lost all but about 18-20 men and him the other survivors were caputured by the North Korean soldiers and made to walk for miles to a Prisoner of War Camp.  He only spent about 30 days as a POW before he and the other survivors (now down to about 10 or so) were liberated by another American outfit.

I know that many have been prisoners for much, much longer than 30 days, but not many can say that they endured the terror and heartbreak of seeing your entire company destroyed, and then to suffer the inhumanity of being taken prisoner.  However, it isn’t a contest.  I am glad that he didn’t spend one additional day as a POW before he was liberated.  After reflecting upon my feelings while writing this, I can’t help but reflect upon the last 23 years of my own career as a soldier and wonder if I have met the standard he set for me and if I’ve made him proud.

So, while I didn’t join the Army to travel or for the excitement or to get rich, I have experienced these benefits; in some cases ten-fold.  I joined the Army because I love my country and love my Uncle and wanted to see if I could be just like him; a humble soldier who willingly sacrificed his comfort and well-being for a purpose greater than himself which, I have learned, reaps a reward of pride and selfless service that 99% of Americans who’ve never served will know.

MAJ G Patrick McDaniel
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.