Why I Serve

The Unites States of America is not successful because of a dictatorship, a royal family, tribal warlords, foreign rule, or even anarchy. Our nation was successfully created and maintained by a set of collective ideals, values, ethics, morals, and most importantly, a need for governance for the people - by the people. There has always been a desire to serve our country for the better of the people as a whole, from our forefathers to the present civil service employees and representatives from all branches of service. For over 235 years the United States of America has exemplified what hard work, dedication, service, and the desire for freedom and independence can attain. We all join the service for a myriad of reasons, from necessity of work, educational benefits, feeling of belonging to a profession, family heritage, or simply because we love our nation and want to give back and contribute to the future success of our nation. What starts out as a primary reason may change over time as one’s career progresses and as opportunities arise. Although my initial reason for serving my country is not the same reason today, serving our nation now makes me feel as though I am a part of something much larger than myself or my ideals, and that I am contributing to the current success of our nation’s role in this world.
I started out as the much labeled college graduate that had no idea of what I wanted to be or do after 4 years of burying myself in book knowledge. As time passed and drinking buddies ended up in prison or married with children, I began to reassess my life and my father’s financial investment in my future. After 2 ½ years of drinking myself to death and working minimum wage jobs (with a college degree in Economics from Virginia Military Institute), my father pulled me to the side and said verbatim: “Son, I look at you as an investment, and so far, you’ve given me a shitty return”. For some reason, that impacted my outlook on the future and ultimately led to my decision to join the military. At that time I wasn’t sure why I was joining the military except that it was a steady paycheck, and the fact I was about to have a family that depended on me to take care of them. I enlisted within 6 months of that conversation with my father, not knowing why or how long, but I felt obligated to make a choice based off of that one conversation with my father.
Knowing to at least keep my military occupational specialty (MOS) in line with my degree, I entered military service in 1996 as a Finance Specialist (E4). Once at the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS), I was asked if I wanted to become a paratrooper – an extra $110 per month. At the time I did it solely for the money, but later realized that a certain “status” came with being identified with the 82nd Airborne Division. As time continued I began to mimic and admire certain NCOs within my units. They were very successful and carried themselves much differently than the friends I grew up drinking with and wasting my life away. They had drive, initiative, physical ability, and were destined to achieve the next rank. I excelled at my job, the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT), and developing relationships with superiors that recognized my ability to lead fellow Soldiers. I received accolades as an E4 that were typically reserved for Staff Sergeants and above. I learned that I wanted more and more of what the military had to offer simply through recognition, and the feeling of pride it gave to me and my family. I eventually went on to become a commissioned officer and continued progressing via various professional military schools.
Being a part of the officer corps often means that there are inherent responsibilities and expectations as long as I continue to serve the nation. Although commissioned as an Engineer Officer, I eventually chose to pursue my functional area of concentration, the Acquisition Corps. I felt my time with the Engineers Corps was rewarding, but I now wanted to be a part of the “Big Army”. I wanted to progress in a way that educated me on more than just the operational world within the Army. Most people are not aware of how the Army operates; just that it has several branches that fight various aspects of a war. I understood the operational side, but wanted to learn more of business side of the Army, and how I can help contribute to its success for the nation as a whole. Why I serve now became clearer and more defined for me. I served myself initially for selfish reasons, but through time transformed my thought process and was more in it for what I can contribute to our nation. I also wanted to make sure I had an impact on how and what the Soldier gets in a theatre of war.
The longer I served, the more my viewpoints of why I was serving changed. Through accolades, respect from family members and friends, a feeling of brotherhood, and excellent leadership from previous NCOs and officers, my mindset was slowly molded into doing for others and contributing to the success of the Army, and ultimately the success of the nation. Had it not been for my father’s blunt assessment of what I was not doing in life, I doubt I would be sitting in this course telling you about how reasons for doing something can change over time. The events, situations, and people we encounter along the path of our life have an indirect, and sometimes direct, way of shaping the reasons we serve, or don’t serve.

MAJ John C. Rider
Student, Command and General Staff School
U.S. Army Combined Arms Center
Fort Belvoir, VA


“The views expressed in the 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.”