Letter to the Editor

To the Editor:

I want to take this opportunity to share with the readers a fairly unique view [of] the Army for the last two-and-a-half years. During that time, I had the opportunity to work for a senior leader in the [DoD]. Our travels included frequent visits to military installations, hospitals and other facilities, where I had the chance to witness some of the most informative, profound and solemn events of my career involving U.S. Army Soldiers.
Some of the most informative and productive of these visits included meetings with small groups of Soldiers or family members ... to get an unvarnished view of how things were on the ground level. It was during these meetings, we saw the selflessness of our Army. Given the opportunity to raise any issue [to] be addressed or resolved, Soldiers and family members, almost without exception, raised issues of concern to their unit or the larger Army, or military, family.
It was at one of these meetings a couple of years ago, an Army spouse suggested G.I. Bill benefits be made transferrable from Soldiers to family members. This suggestion was taken back to Washington, D.C., introduced into the budget process, and, eventually, enacted into law.
Today, this is one of the most popular benefits [used] by servicemembers across all the armed forces.
For every prominent example like this, there are dozens of less-visible ideas and comments that, nonetheless, resonated with the leadership and resulted in positive, Army-wide and, sometimes, DoD-wide improvements to the system.
It was during visits to ... Walter Reed [Army Medical Center], Brook Army Medical Center and Landstuhl Regional Military Center, we witnessed the most profound examples of Soldier courage and family resiliency.
The attitude of the Wounded Warriors, some severely wounded and only days removed from the battlefield, can best be described as inspirational and humbling. Inspirational, because of the undaunted courage they showed in the face of great adversity, and, humbling, because it was often hard to imagine [having] their strength and resiliency if [I were] in their situation.
It may sound like an old cliché, but, it is true - almost every Wounded Warrior, no matter how severely wounded, was most concerned about wanting to get better so he or she could rejoin their unit and comrades back in combat to complete the mission. To see those who had given so much eager to get back in the fight to give even more is a thing of legend that our Wounded Warriors are embodying every single day.
It was also inspirational to see the resiliency of the families there to support their wounded heroes, and gratifying to see the lengths the Army has taken in recent years to accommodate family members so they can be close to their loved ones during the most difficult of times. The medical treatment our wounded receive is state-of-the-art, but, the importance of family members to help in the healing process cannot be overstated.
The most solemn visits we made were to Dover Air Force Base, Del., to witness the dignified transfer of the remains of fallen warriors during their final return to U.S. soil, and trips to Arlington [National] Cemetery to attend burial ceremonies. Words cannot adequately describe the emotion involved in attending a dignified transfer at Dover. The Army family and the American people would be extremely proud of the job the joint team does to make the final return home of our fallen as honorable and respectful as one could possibly imagine.
I firmly believe the decision earlier this year to open [these transfers] to the media, if the families of the fallen request it, was a good one that allows the American people to witness this solemn process and see the dignity with which we bring home our fallen warriors. The impact of each is never diminished, nor is the resonance of the dignity with which the Army conducts these ceremonies at Arlington and elsewhere.
It was across the span of these different events, I was constantly reminded of the great spirit of our Army family, how well our Army is viewed by the senior leaders of our military and government, and how the Army should be viewed by all Americans.
The experiences reaffirmed, and, indeed, strengthened my already tight bond with the Army, our sister services, and the broader military family. It also provided a perspective from which I wish every American citizen could view the contributions and sacrifices of their military.
Lt. Col. Steve Smith
Command and General Staff College - Fort Belvoir, Intermediate-Level Education Course, Staff Group 30D.