Effect Essay

My nearly fatal decision to join the Army at 22 years old turned out to be the best one I have ever made. Of course there were endless days of lying in a pool of oil under a tank in the motor pool, a month of training in the 120° Mojave Desert, and two, year-long deployments in the bowels of Iraq, but sometimes the worst experiences in our lives are the ones that shape us into better people. I wished thousands of times that I never signed that paper, handing over my soul to Uncle Sam, never realizing that the hell I was going through might actually be just what I needed. Being part of something outside my own little universe propelled me into the life which I lead now. I gained brothers, lost some and was changed forever. The Army taught me to appreciate teamwork, never settle for the mediocre and also gave me the chance to get out of the rut I was in and have a better life back in the civilian world.
There were times in the service that common sense seemed to be as far away as my family, half a country away. Having a combat job meant that when not deployed; my days were sometimes filled with training but more often than not, meaningless tasks. I can’t count the number of times that my company would report to our motor pool on orders to prepare for an inspection. These inspections entailed emptying the enormous, metal containers which housed our tools and equipment. Being part of a heavy, mechanized unit meant that very few of these pieces were small or light. My soldiers and I would spend the better part of a day lugging each item out of the trailer and laying them perfectly in a neat and organized manner. After doing this through the muggy, Missouri heat and nearly experiencing heat exhaustion, we would sit and wait for our lieutenant to come inspect. The problem was that he rarely showed. This would mean that everything went back into the box to be hauled out the next day. The ignorance and absolute insanity of these days drove me mad. Listening to the privates piss and moan, all I wanted to do was agree with their gripes and flip out, but as their sergeant, I always kept my composure. Looking back I realize that those times were in fact horrible, but to this day, I have yet to find the brotherhood and teamwork that we had. No man ever worked alone and could always count on his fellow soldiers to help. The huge tasks that were given were accomplished no matter what. No one called in sick or just quit. We would roll up our sleeves and do it. If another unit needed help, we were there whether we knew them or not. The crazy inspections are just one example of the machine. Throughout my four years in the Army, I would be reminded time and time again that no matter how seemingly impossible something seemed, it could be accomplished if not by myself, with the help of my brothers.
From the day I entered basic training to my separation from the Army, I was taught to never just settle. If we were camped in a certain spot for longer than an hour, we were expected to somehow improve on the surroundings. Even in Iraq, we would set up temporary operating bases and continually add sandbags, observation points and fortifications. We could be well aware that we were leaving the area the very next day and yet were still busy improving upon the situation. In the states, at the end of a training session, all soldiers would line up in a row and walk the entire training area from end to end. We picked up shell casings, trash, cigarette butts and anything else that wasn’t put there by god rather it came from us or not. It gave new meaning to the term, “carry in, carry out, “ because we always would leave the area better than how we found it. This mindset of constantly improving is rather ingenious of the Army. I believe that somewhere in history, the U.S. government realized that if soldiers were expected to do this in every activity, they would internalize the idea and conduct themselves in this manner all the time. There is no better way to have a strong military than to have one that is concerned with the bettering themselves at all times. Even now as a civilian, I carry this idea with me. I find myself unhappy with just settling for the average life. I look for ways to make life better through education, healthy relationships, and staying motivated.
The third thing that the Army did for me was it gave me the chance to earn a degree. Before the GI Bill there was no way I would have been able to afford the outrageous prices colleges charge for an education. I knew going into the service that I would most likely get out after my first term and get the degree I had always hoped for. Now as I write this, I am just a couple of weeks away from receiving my Civil Engineering degree and could my more elated. Through all the tough times, miserable climates and crazy combat operations I always knew that this day would come and all of that would pay off.
I guess the Army or any other branch of service isn’t for everyone. Some people can graduate high school and move on directly to college without batting an eyelash. I know for me however it was the right choice and would make it again. I could probably go without being shot at and eventually hit but I knew that could happen. I guess I figured if I was going to serve my country, with my personality, I wouldn’t have been happy sitting in the rear with the gear. I knew that I wanted to serve in combat operations and make a difference that I could see instantly. Losing close buddies was horrible but without going through it I never would have gained the ones I still have. If it wasn’t for the Army I might still be driving a delivery truck or working in some factory for minimum wage. I definitely wouldn’t have the perspective on life that I carry with me now. I wouldn’t understand the value of being surrounded by good hard working people and what it means to have absolute trust in another person.