Army Of One? Not really!!!!

I'm pretty sure most of you remember the old Army recruiting commercials that had the slogan "Army of One." I'll ask you this: Can one soldier fight a war on his own? "A house divided among itself is destined to fail"- Abraham Lincoln. I hear stories from my recruiters, and the soldiers in my unit about how recruits would come to the Army and think that they don't need a team. They think that they are "macho" enough to handle a war on their own. The Army is not only a team, but a family. You fight a long side your brothers and sisters in arms. You would give your life for the soldier next to you. There's no such thing as an "Army of One," that's just a story parents tell kids to help them fall asleep.

A Drill Sgt in my unit told me about a soldier whom he fought along side with when he was just an infantry soldier. He told me that the soldier had just enlisted and was already on the field. He was so stubborn that he would tell the Drill Sgt that he doesn't need any help and he can handle everything on his own. The Drill Sgt, following the Warrior Ethos of "Never leave a fallen comrade", would always try to convince him that they were a team. A week later they went on a mission. The stubborn soldier decided he could rush into the building without inspecting it and opened fire. That soldier was KIA because he wanted to be an "Army of One."

This goes to show, we are a united family. We fight together, and would die for one another. There is no "I" in team. We have to "Be all we can be", and always stay "Army Strong." You never know when you'll need your Battle Buddy.