“One of the principles of leadership in the military is to know yourself and seek self improvement “
I had the opportunity to meet and speak with General George Price who really opened my eyes to the pride in which one has for serving their country in addition to learning more about the discipline and commitment it takes for one to truly have a career in the armed forces. If you or someone you know are thinking about joining the military this is a must read.
What inspired you to join the military?
I was inspired to serve my country by the atmosphere and community in which I’ve grown up. At that period of time you learned to respect your government and the office of the people within the government; and to use that vehicle as inspiration to serve your country. We had great pride in the United States of America. We had our daily singing of the national anthem, daily saying of pledge of allegiance, and those things inspire you as you sequentially as you grow older. Then of course we had WWII, I was too young for WWII but I wanted to volunteer to go into service but my mother wouldn’t sign and my father wouldn’t sign either.
When you reached the age of 18 you were suppose to serve and those that served came back with glowing remarks from their experiences. They had great productivity, great promotions, and great upward mobility because of the GI Bill. And that covers a broad spectrum of areas: entrepreneurs looking to start a small business, education, technical training, and housing. So there are many benefits to join the service, but we were never told to serve for the benefits. You serve the country because you love it, and those were the rewards from that service, not payment for. So it was against that backdrop that I decided that I wanted to serve my country.
So when I was getting ready to graduate from high school a friend of mine came home as a lieutenant. And I asked him how do you become a lieutenant, and he said in your case, you go to West Point or you go to a college that has ROTC. He said to prepare yourself well, get a degree, and take ROTC or go to the Academy and get your permission. And then you can serve at whatever level your skills and situation permits. You have to realize during this time the service was segregated, but that didn’t diminish the pride of those persons who served. And those experiences in the service did not deprive them of the pride within the service. It all adds up to call to serve your country from less than equal positions. But the achievements of the persons who served were significant enough to inspire us to want to emulate them, and be great citizens, and great service members, and to serve our country.
What College or University did you attend?
I attended South Carolina State University because that was the first year they were founding an ROTC unit so I was in the first class to go four years in ROTC. The Veteran’s who came back from WWII were in leadership positions and they bought all their experiences back so we had a head start because they had seen the world, formed this ROTC unit, and got the first permissions.
Is there a certain mental attitude or philosophy one must possess in order to seek out a career in the armed forces?
I think you have to feel that your country deserves your participation in its well being. The military is not a social service or a place you go to decide on your way somewhere else. For the time you’re going to spend in the military you need to be sure that your willing to put in that time, and willing to do your best. When you approach the military whether it’s for two days, two years, or twenty years you have to approach it with a positive attitude because it’s not a place to fool around. So a lot of people try it and some fail, but by and large, those people who approach it with a positive attitude survive. You get a lot of life skills you would not have so it gives you a leg up; the same with JR ROTC. Those kids that participate in JR ROTC in high school understand discipline, responsibility, structure, and organization, all the characteristic that make a good student and good members of service. The simple fact of the matter is we train people to live, not die, and be productive citizens, and not go out and waste themselves away waiting on something to come along. I’ve served 28 yrs 7months and 9 days (as of the date of our interview). In my family I am proud to say we have 90 yrs collectively of military service.
What advice would you give to a young women/man who is debating on joining the military?
First of all, it’s an honorable undertaking, just to have that mindset. It’s not something secondary; you don’t take a backseat to anybody or anything. If you decide to go into the military you make a conscious decision that I am going to prepare myself to serve my country to the best of my ability. And when you take that oath of office that’s a contract between you and the American people; that’s the same contract the commander in chief takes so there is nothing wishy-washy about it. You are making the commitment and signing the contract that you are defending the constitution, the flag, and the principles of our democracy, so it’s serious. Number two it’s challenging, its one of the few institutions that get you physically capable of physically challenging yourself and also give you a chance to develop and use skills sets that you might not have thought you had. It gives you a chance to also fulfill your aspirations under a structured environment that prepares you for whatever you decide to do once you’ve completed your years of service. When you look at it, it’s not an alternative to anything it’s the main root to where you are going. The men and women who are serving today I guarantee you are some high quality people. You are talking people who have met the test, passed the test, and who contributed enormously to the well-being of the country, and I think they deserve every accolade we can give them.