Mark Edward Brown's Blog

     I am taking a moment to reflect and meditate on the incredible adventure and experience that is a portion of the reason that I am part of a small portion of the population in the USA that has served in the #1 Leadership organization in the world.  What the heck does that mean and what does it have to do with Veteran’s Day?

It has everything to do with Veterans and Veteran’s Day because it’s the legacy of all of the men and women who have served and sacrificed in the military over the years and up to the present day.

When I was a young and somewhat undisciplined kid I had a knowing inside of me that I had to do something to save myself from a hapless pattern of self destruction.  I was never labled by “society” as a juvinile delingquint (not sure if I spelled that right ;-} or arrested etc.

From the outside looking in you would not know that I was mentally jousting with an existance that was somewhat undefined and limitless in its boundries.  I knew that the “American Dream” was a sham because no one that I knew was living it.  My Dad was always gone because he drove an 18 wheeler back and forth across the USA.  I am not mad at him for that because that is what he knew to provide a very comfortable level of living for my Mom, my Sisters and I.

My Mom also worked at various jobs throughout my childhood so I remember both parents working to make ends meet.  I always had gifts on my birthday as well as Christmas (so did my Sisters) and most summers we would always go on some kind of trip or visit our cousins.

The bottom line is I made a decision when I was a young man to join the military because I knew that I needed to be more disciplined, I jumped from one culture to another and I never looked back.  It’s because of the legacy of leadership and sacrifice that scores of men and women have made which formed the 2+ decades that I have lived, loved, and learned the art of leadership in the military.

The Army was and is my branch of choice yet I have the utmost respect for all of my brothers and sisters in the other branches of the armed services.

I want to say “Thank You” to All of the Veterans who have gone before me and to the young guys and gals who will come after me which are right now at this time shaping the foundation and direction that we are going in today.

With reverance and respect,

Major Mark Edward Brown