Guest Column: A message from Veterans Resource Office director Tony Flores
22. 10%. Reintegration. Disability. Blank check. Band of brothers/sisters. Loss. Freedom. What are these? These are the wins and losses of veterans, what it takes to ensure our freedom, and what it costs. So why is it essential to acknowledge veterans throughout the year and not just Veteran’s Day? I want to share a not-so-comfortable part of my military story and encourage other veterans to share their stories.
When I enlisted in the US Army, the US was entering a peacetime period (for the most part). In other words, the US did not have identified locations where large military units were participating in combat operations. I was fortunate. However, when I arrived at my duty station, I quickly learned many of my brothers around me had witnessed battle firsthand the previous year. There had been an enormous amount of global unrest, and my decision to pause my education at Utah State and join the military was what I needed to do for my countrymen, family, and myself. A few years after leaving the military, many of my brother and sister service members would see combat. I would hear or read about people I served with giving the ultimate sacrifice.
One weekend in November 1993, I talked to my younger brother and learned he spoke to a recruiter and would be enlisting. He was excited, and if he and I joined under the buddy program, he would also get a bump in rank from Private 1 to Private 2. Win-win, right? I visited with his recruiter. It was the easiest enlistment this guy ever had, I didn’t ask about a bonus, and while I could choose any field I wanted, I told him I would like to be in combat arms. He threw on a quick recruitment video showing a special operations infantry unit, and we were done. I was sold. When I left Utah State to join the military, I knew I would return. I viewed my enlistment as an opportunity to reflect on my life goals. So I went into the military as an 11X with the only guarantee that I would end up in the infantry. If I could pass OSUT (One Station Unit Training), consisting of Basic, Advanced Infantry Training, Airborne School, and RIP, I would be well on my way to becoming a US Army Ranger and joining an elite infantry unit.
Once there, we found ourselves in pretty much a constant training cycle. Even in garrison during a non-training process, we would find ourselves at a shooting range gaining proficiency in one of the myriads of tools our weapons squad used. I recall one period of training where we were in garrison for only 3-5 days during three months. While this was all training, it was intense. During training, we lost our First Seargent to a drowning accident; three soldiers from another company during a fast-rope exercise fell 40’ – 50’ through trees, killing one and injuring two severe enough they would be medically discharged. In addition to learning how to use weapons, we learned to dehumanize any perceived enemy. Quite possibly the most dangerous tool to learn.
What does this have to do with acknowledging veterans throughout the year and not just on Veteran’s Day? The military did an excellent job teaching us how to kill and not empathize with an enemy. But, unfortunately, they did not teach us how to find empathy as we left.
For years I thought in a binary of strong vs. weak, valuable vs. useless. That is how I judged the people I would meet. During all of this, no day goes by, and I don’t think about 1st Sgt Glenn L. Harris, the person he gave his life for, or the men in Charlie Company. Every veteran has their own 1st Sgt Harris. I think about 1st Sgt Harris’ special needs daughter and wife. I think about others who may not have lost their lives but were physically or mentally changed by their experiences. I think and read about those men and women who signed the blank check up to and including their life and had it cashed. About those veterans, service members, and families who do not go a day without being reminded of the loss. How many lives have changed because of the physical and mental injuries which occurred during their military careers? Twenty-two veterans a day commit suicide because they feel hopeless and lost. They struggle with these memories and the ability to reintegrate into the civilian population.
Ten percent of the United States population are either veterans or current service members. A tiny number of our population have born and bear the burden of ensuring the peace and freedom we all enjoy. Those ten percent are more diverse than our US demographics from nearly every walk of life. I, like them, are not the same people we were when we entered the military: some good and some bad, many giving the best years of their lives to serve.
Why should you acknowledge veterans more than just on veterans day? Veterans trained and fought to ensure your security and freedom here at home. While I will not get into the politics of war, it is crucial to understand; there has not been another international terrorist attack on United States soil since 9/11. During World War II, the only attack on United States soil was at Pearl Harbor. While life is hard for everyone at times, veterans have borne the sacrifice to ensure this safety. Acknowledge veterans have given something that Ninety percent of the United States population are unwilling to provide to ensure our country is protected. I do not want this to come across as veterans expect this acknowledgment. For the most part, we volunteered for service, and we willingly gave ourselves to serve our country and citizens. Many veterans you meet are active in trying to continue serving their communities. Some wish they could find the Esprit de Corp the military provided. At the same time, others strive to find a way to reintegrate into their community. It would help if you acknowledged veterans beyond only Veteran’s Day, not because we feel we deserve something more but because you recognize their sacrifice and appreciate the freedoms they ensure for you.
Tony Flores is the director of the Veterans Resource Office. He is an army veteran and graduated from USU.
— tony.flores@usu.edu