He's Done His Part; Have You Done Yours?

Military service is a complete commitment. Even our best, who serve multiple tours overseas, may need to do something else. Here's an op-ed from The Washington Post by U.S. Army Captain John Rogers:

I'm a captain in the U.S. Army, an institution I love and respect, and one that has made me a better man. The Army has taught me how to relate to people of various ethnic backgrounds and socioeconomic classes. It has taught me how to stay calm under fire and in other stressful situations (an especially handy lesson as my fiancee and I plan our wedding). It has taught me how to exact discipline and how to approach people with different personalities in different ways.

All these lessons will, I'm convinced, make me a better friend, a better husband and, one day, a better father.

But after four years, I've decided to resign my commission and leave the Army. [ . . . ]

Those reasons are threefold: First, I'm about to get married, and I want a family. Second, I can earn as much or more in the civilian world as I do in the Army. And finally, my experience with war has left me feeling angry, frustrated and mismanaged.

OYE Comment:

We thank Captain Rogers for his service to our country and wish him, and his fiancee, all the best for the future. He has earned it.