lOMoARcPSD|271398 04
My calling a brief overview
I was first in the Missouri National Guard while I was going to college for Art and
Philosophy. I choose to go to basic training and advanced individual training (AIT) in to
separate courses to help pay for college. As a trained 31C1O, single channel radio operator I
could not see staying a National Guard Soldier and decided to heed the call to serve in the Active
Army. I quit college my senior year. I began my active duty military life by asking a girl,
Sandra, who I just met to come with me to Fort Carson, Colorado we have been together ever
since (25 years). Life in the service is a roller coaster of emotions and luckily, I endured and
grew with each situation I had presented to me. As I mentioned my first duty station was Fort
Carson, Co and while Sandra and I have loved it. The cost of living was expensive. I came
down on reassignment and had my first overseas tour to Korea. Sandra and I decided to get
married at the justice of the peace in Colorado Springs, CO. I left my new wife for a year.
I was in Korea and the Primary Leadership Development Course (PLDC) when I failed
my first time in the Army. This failure assists me in learning to prepare and bounce back from
this temporary setback. Although, I failed PLDC I didn’t let it define me as I knew I could learn
from this and move forward. My tour in Korea ended and we moved to Fort Bragg, NC. I went
back to PLDC and successfully passed the course as an honor graduate and subsequently was
offered a position in the school.
This opportunity was where I found calling to teach and assist others with their goals. I
successfully receive my instructor identifier and also became a trainer in the instructor course.
This opportunity would go to help me throughout my career. I was next selected by the United
States Army to be a recruiter. My family and I moved to Mount Pleasant, TX. I was pretty
lOMoARcPSD|271398 04
successful as a recruiter and was given the opportunity to command the station. After, recruiting
I was again selected to go overseas to Korea unaccompanied leaving my family in Missouri
while I was overseas. It was here I met a Sergeant Major who assisted me in my calling by
allowing me to be the trainer for the Brigade and help me finish me bachelor’s degree. This
assignment again helped me with my calling . I returned from Korea with a bachelor’s degree in
Business administration and we returned to Fort Bragg, NC. I was aware that I would be
deploying to Iraq and was able to get an assignment in training others to deploy.
While in Iraq I again had the opportunity to teach Soldiers and help them overcome a
failure this time I helped them both mentally and physically. After my deployment I was again
placed on orders to Korea and while there I was given the opportunity to gain advance my career
in the Army by teaching Soldiers. Once, I returned from Korea my third hardship tour to my
now 14-year-old Son and wife of about 16 years. I was asked to take on a huge assignment and
served as the operation sergeant major for a brigade. It was here I was asked to go to the Master
Resilience Trainer Course and where my calling was solidified. During this training I was able
to understand the concepts of being able to truly bounce back. I became the ball and not the egg.
Resilience as “the ability to meet, learn from, and not be crushed by challenges and stresses of
life,” (Wicks, 2010). Once I was complete with this training, I knew I was going to assist others
in their mental toughness for the rest of my life. A calling “a deep sense of conviction to pursue
noble goals,” (Dees, 2011).
We moved to Fort Drum, NY for my last duty station my family was not really keen on
the idea but with the help of my training we were all able to hunt the good stuff and deal with the
move more effectively. It was here I again was selected to assist others as I became the first
Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness (CSF2) program manager. I was given the task to
lOMoARcPSD|271398 04
ensure all received resilience training at the beginning of the assignment. We had no written
curriculum and we still managed to be selected as a pilot program for the United States Army. I
held this position until I retired and knew I wanted to continue to enhance my skills to help those
who serve, have served and their family members.
One’s calling can be military service, missionary work, or service to humankind, but
regardless of the type of service, there must nobility of cause (Dees, 2011).
References
Dees, R. (2011). Resilient warriors: the resiliency trilogy. San Diego, CA: Creative Team
Publishing
Wicks, R. J. (2010). Bounce: Living the resilient life. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
