I made a pretty interesting observation the other day. A bunch of the soldiers in the battery were hanging out waiting for our final formation of the day and talking, the way soldiers do. I looked around and realized that the reason I am still in uniform was standing or sitting in that group. I truly love soldiers.
That may sound odd considering all the griping that I have done over the years about stupid so-and-so, or dumbass such-and-such, but, I have to say that I love leading, training and mentoring soldiers. They still do things that leave me shaking my head and speechless, but they are my main reason for doing what I do every day.
I don’t thank that many civilians can understand the depth of the relationships that we form in the military. You see, I have to get to know each one of my soldiers. I am expected to meet their families; check on their finances; share their joys; give advice through the hard times; and, through it all, still be able to give orders that may get them killed.
I don’t really know if there is any civilian boss that gets that involved with his or her employees the way we are expected to as a matter of course, and that, more than anything else, keeps me in the business that I’m in.
I love my soldiers, and, if I do my job right, they will love me, too. My report card will be once we return from this upcoming deployment. You see, if all of “my guys†come back, I pass; if I have to write a letter to somebody explaining how they died, I fail.
