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Those who serve in the military understand many of the mundane tasks one gets stuck on while serving. Details like painting rocks, pulling weeds in a concrete motor pool, and my personal favorite "dud stomping". Yesterday, I had the honor of pulling staff duty. In essence I spent the whole day sitting at a desk in the front entrance greeting any and all who entered the brigade headquarters. I also did a little runner duty, raised and retired the colors, and cleaned the conference room. All this added to the fact I had to shave the OPFOR beard I had been growing for months now and cut my long hair so I could pull out the dusty old ACU's (uniform) I had not wore in months. In other words yesterday sucked.
Sometime during my long boring day I had decided maybe to read a Soldiers Magazine that was sitting on a table for people who where waiting to see someone in the building. If anyone knows Rob the soldier they know I am not the type to read "hooah" magazines like this. There was an actual time in my early career where I proudly held the title of "The Anti-Soldier", in other words I always pushed the envelope but only so far as to not receive any real trouble. I joked a lot, grew my hair as long as the standard permitted, and was pretty much a pain to any NCO within my chain of command. This has followed me even today as many of the guys who knew me in those days bring up what a true pain in the ass I was, all the while always making a sometimes mundane life interesting. So what I am trying to say in more words than I should is I was more the type to pick up a Maxim not a Soldiers Magazine. But as many soldiers who have pulled such duties would attest Brigade Staff Duty is no place for Maxim.
This particular issue was a sports special. With articles about the members of the Olympic team who currently serve in the Army. It also had articles about the Army 10 mile run, racing, as well as the basketball team. That was all interesting but what I found fascinating more than any of the feats these athletes had done was the stories of wounded veterans and the programs they participate in. I read about former PGA players taking time out to teach injured soldiers, a lot of whom where amputees, how to play golf. I read about a hockey team consisting of the "Wounded Warriors", amputee soldiers running the 10 miler, and even injured soldiers participating in rodeos. I read about how these brave warriors who have lost so much decided not to give in to the depression so many of us would feel had we been hit with the same circumstances. Instead choosing to prove that they are still able to do the things they love not only to themselves but to those of us who take them for granted.
The funny thing for me as I read of these brave Warriors I realized that I have taken what they have done for this country for granted. I realized that the uniform I complained about wearing all day yesterday was the same uniform these heroes wear or have worn with pride. Somewhere down the line I had become jaded, I let my political views as well as my disdain for current events in this country make me forget just how great these heroes are. The sad truth is, as I had been told a few times in the past "Rob I love you but right now I don't like you", I love the U.S. but I right now I don't like it. That feeling dictated how I felt about a number of things. But somehow reading of these "Wounded Warriors" gave me perspective and the hope that I had lost. A feeling that this country is still the same country I fell in love with and although I might not like the decisions made by the leaders, it is not these leaders who make the country it is the people who are what make the U.S. great. Leaders come and go, but the spirit of America lives on. I am sure I will still have my bad days. Thankfully, there are so many everyday heroes to give me inspiration and pride where our leaders fall short.
