Why I Love My Country-Part 3: The Military

Three years ago, my father announced to the family that he was joining the Army. In that instant, my life was hugely changed. Two years later, here I sit in South Korea. Traveling in the military is not a privilege everyone can enjoy, but I have been lucky enough to have that experience. I have, through my father, experienced the Army life first hand. As a soon-to-be-high-school graduate, I am looking to go enlisted in the Army myself. To say that I am proud in my country's military is almost an understatement. Words cannot describe it adequately. I know that saying that might sound odd, but I write it in all honesty.

  

   The Army, created June 14, 1775, has survived over 200 years as a successful branch of the military. The Army itself employs around 1,129,275. I do not have the experience nor the time to include all the other branches of the military, therefore, for simplicity's sake, I will only detail the Army. But I know enough of the other branches to recognize their sacrifice for their country. And that is where my pride stems from. Millions of men and women, leaving their regular day-in-and-day-out lives to instead put those same lives on the line to protect people they have never met. The military is a profession that certainly deserves a lot of respect. I think that sometimes we as Americans take our soldiers for granted. Even if they aren't deployed, they are still working hard to keep our country safe and secure. Most countries have their own organized militaries, but ours stands out. For several reasons. We protect not only our own country, but aid other countries as well, the most notable being South Korea. There are those who would say that this makes the United States look nosy and bullying. Maybe this is true a little bit, but I think its important that we help those who need it. If we have the ability to help, we should.

   When I got the idea to write this series, I was thinking of the top three reasons that make me so proud of my country, and I almost overlooked the military. But once I thought long and hard about it, I realized just how important the Army is in my life. I've enjoyed experiencing the Army second-hand so much, that I want to become a part of it. I want to protect and defend my country from the terrorism of groups in the Middle East, and from the Communism of North Korea. I would be ready and willing to give up my life at a moments notice; and, while that's slightly gruesome, I mean it. The United States is a part of my family, and I feel that it's important to keep my family safe. I will continue to be proud of our military; I will continue to be proud of our country.

~Ian James~