I have always felt that who we are today is the sum of what we have learned from our experiences in life. The Army is not different to me. The officer I am today is the sum of what I have learned from the experiences throughout my Army career. I cannot pinpoint one single day or event in my career that is more significant than the accumulation of a few moments or periods throughout my career. These few moments or periods are what have inspired me to first join the Army and then continue my life as an Army officer. I have never had any regret in choosing this commitment nor have ever envisioned myself in any other profession.

The first inspiring event was the moment I decided to become an officer. During my junior year in high school, a cadet from the University of Idaho came to our Algebra class, and explained the process of becoming an officer through the ROTC program. Before, I always had always been drawn to military topics, such as reading a book on D-Day in 6th grade, or thinking "Rambo" or other war movies were "cool." Also, watching "M.A.S.H.," I saw that the officers seemed to be in charge. Once the cadet explained how to become an officer, I decided to become one. I then applied for ROTC scholarships. Although an Army ROTC scholarship was the only one I obtained, I would have most likely chosen the Army anyways, because growing up in North Idaho, I had always enjoyed "playing in the woods."

The next inspiring event was my period in ROTC at the University of Idaho. From the first ROTC event, I was hooked, and my love for the Army grew from that moment. Whether it was Drill and Ceremonies training, field training exercises, rifle marksmanship or physical training, I was enjoying each new challenge, the growth from those challenges, and most importantly, I was having fun. Also, I had been a follower throughout my childhood, and appreciated the opportunities to learn to be a leader instead. Although I was working toward a prestigious and difficult degree in Civil Engineering, my love for the Army overpowered any desire to be an engineer. My only goal was to become an officer. It was also in ROTC where I found my second desire: to become a Field Artillery officer. It was the only branch I wanted after the artillery demonstrations at Advanced Camp.

My next inspirational event was during a moment as an artillery platoon leader. My platoon and I were at a field problem in Grafenwoehr, Germany, in waist-deep snow and freezing temperatures. I remember vividly being out there with my soldiers as they were packing 155mm rounds from tracked vehicle to tracked vehicle through that snow. It was one of those moments in my career where I have never felt so proud to just be alive and have the honor of being out there with those great soldiers. I was overcome with a feeling of knowing that I was doing what I was meant to be doing. However, I would not be able to define these feelings until my time as a battery commander.

My period as a battery commander was my next inspirational event. My No. 1 goal, up to this point, was to be a battery commander for a firing battery. I would have never considered leaving the Army until a command and facing that true test of leadership. During this command, I discovered that those feelings I found as a platoon leader, and would continue to feel as a commander, are what I have enjoyed most throughout my career as an officer. I simply enjoy having the honor of working with and getting to know soldiers. Every day, we get to work with the best Americans our great country has to offer and we have the honor of leading them and witnessing their incredible accomplishments. Showing them respect and earning theirs is about the best accomplishment an officer can obtain.

I also realized that being a commander at the battery level would most likely be the last opportunity for an officer to be that close to the soldier level, so I maximized it as well as I could. It would be impossible to list all the times I was proud of the soldiers in my battery; however, one day at the National Training Center was the proudest day of my career. One night, my battery was pummeled by the OPFOR during an attack on our assembly area. The next day, we obtained our lessons learned; my battery rose to the occasion, and beat the OPFOR as they attacked us that night. Honestly, I was proud that I had the honor to lead the battery to victory, but I was more proud of how the soldiers earned that victory. In addition to my goal of obtaining a battery command, I wanted to deploy with my battery. However, since my battery did not deploy while I was in command, my next goal of deploying would have to wait.

The final significant event was my 11-month deployment to Iraq during most of 2010. After 13 years of service without a deployment, I volunteered to deploy on a Stability Transition Team (STT) to achieve my last real goal in the Army. The first reason I volunteered was because I would have had a difficult time living without a deployment, and my grandchildren asking me what I did during the War on Terrorism. Up until then, I had been proud of my service in the Army, but I would not have been if my career ended without deploying.

However, the most important reason I volunteered, was similar to my desire to test my leadership in command; I wanted to challenge myself as a true warfighter. After training to be a warfighter for 13 years, I wanted to see if I had what it took when lives were really in danger.

Overall, I enjoyed this deployment. I enjoyed my job as an STT and assisting the Iraqi Army in taking care of their country. It was also refreshing that the Iraqi Division we were advising was performing their mission on their own, with little assistance from us. The most important part of this deployment, though, was that I got the opportunity to test my war fighting ability. I did join a U.S. Infantry Platoon on two missions with an Iraqi Company to capture insurgents. Although no bullets flew during these missions, I had never felt so alert and so alive than any other time in my life. My only fear was not for my safety, but for missing something or making a decision that would get the other men I was with hurt. I had full confidence that when bullets flew, that I would return fire and take the fight to the enemy. This was the test I was looking for.

The events or periods described above are what I feel have impacted me and have inspired the most throughout my career. Good or bad, they have helped me become the officer I am today. It is because of these experiences, and so many more, that after 15 years of service, in what I feel is about the most proud and noblest profession, I can honestly say that there has not been one single day that I have ever wished to be out of the Army.

Major Eric Roth is originally from Coeur d'Alene and submitted this story for publication in his hometown newspaper.