Serving has always been something that the Greek community has been a part of. It is one of the many reasons why I decided to join.

I found the true extent of my commitment to serve this summer. This summer, I went to basic combat training (BCT) at Fort Leonardwood, Missouri. I attended BCT right after pledgeship in my fraternity, as well as a year of Army ROTC at the University of Oklahoma. BCT is the beginning entry into the process of becoming a soldier. It includes intense military training, both mental and physical. Many recruits don’t make it for many reasons, mainly because of injury or lack of ability to pass certain training events. The final events includes a 16k ruck march, the repel tower, and a night infiltration course that includes live fire. Many days, we carried over 50 pounds of weight that includes a rucksack, helmet, and body armor. My combined weight was around 220 pounds in full gear.

During BCT, I felt a huge sense of community within the Greek system because of the representation of soldiers who were also Greek. I had several friends that were Greek at major universities, male and female. The soldier who was performed the highest in the final army physical test (APFT) happened to be a Delta Gamma at the University of Minnesota. The crazy thing was, I didn’t even know that we had the common bond of being Greek until after graduation. I felt an enormous sense of pride within the Greek community especially because I have friends at my home university in the same sorority. I knew that many Greeks were involved in the military from spring rush and my experience with Army ROTC. The biggest honor I feel in my own fraternity is that my chapter was presented with a flag that was flown above Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan by one of our members that was serving over there at the time. The pride I feel in my chapter, as well as the Greek community as a whole, has played a part in inspiring me to be the best soldier I can possibly be.