Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Serve.
Unsung Heroes
Rain came down in sheets, soaking everything it could at this time of year it was not expected. My colleague and I were working the front desk when a familiar face popped in, drenched but smiling. The night before we checked him in, a vagrant traveling up from from Colorado to get to a town nearly an hour further away. He was dressed in a way that made me think of an post-apocalyptic merchant, even sporting a large brim hat full of different decorations. We already knew he was having a tough time ending his journey; the last leg of it was just an hour away but he sat out for three days hoping for a ride to his destination without success. So he had to stay another night to get out of the cold wet, have a shower, and enjoy the indoors for a moment. We knew he was a botanist and had a job waiting for him whenever he was able to arrive and we respected that.
By Shamus Roan8 years ago in Serve
5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Joining the Army
Five things I wish I knew before joining the army: 1. You will encounter a lot of sexism. Sexism is very much alive and it is in full force while being a female service member! Often times, before my deployment I would use this to my advantage and get out of doing certain physical tasks, which at the time I figured it to be harmless. As time went on, I started noticing that some of my male battles were starting to view me as weaker? Which to me, I found to be completely insane! I can do anything that these men could do, and often times I could even do it better! I would start seeing these men get chosen to be on special op teams that I wanted to be a part in, and in the back of my head I always had a feeling it was due to my sex, but never spoke up. I learned very early on that you need to hold your ground from the beginning, it's much harder for a female to gain respect in the military field (especially being a military police) than it was for a man. It wasn't until we had deployed and my staff sergeant was ONLY putting me in office positions (I am a military police! Not a desk/officer person!) that did I speak up. I told my sergeant I am smarter than these men, more levelheaded and just as capable, IF NOT MORE, than these men you are putting out in the field, I am competent in everything that I do, I want to be doing the job that I trained for! So, after that they started putting me with the rest of my male battle buddies, which I was super excited for! I thought "YES I WON! THEY SEE ME AS A SOLDIER, NOT A FEMALE!" After the momentum of that win went away, it went to the same thing. Granted, I was never put in the office again, but I still wasn't being given the same jobs as the rest of my battles, but I didn't make a fuss about it, didn't want my "female hormones" to bother any of my male counterparts. But then Osama Bin Laden was killed, and our FOB was being rioted and they needed reinforcements from our unit (The rule for our unit was if anyone needed reinforcements, the first five people to our equipment room was the Force Team for that job)! So naturally, I would always make sure I was RIGHT NEXT to this room so when the time came I would be there! The time came! I was the first person in this room and started gearing up for battle! I was so excited! My sergeants and the men in this room were quiet, and looking at each other, then looking at me. Another male was disgusted at the fact that he wasn't on the team because I took HIS place. The rule was set, fair is fair. So finally, I looked at my battle buddies and told them "I went through basic training, JUST LIKE ALL OF YOU. I graduated, went through military police school JUST LIKE YOU. I went through combat training and passed everything with flying colors JUST LIKE YOU. There is NO REASON why I can't do this, I have trained for this. You can NOT tell me NO!" I was just upset! This was so insane! My sergeant just replied " You understand? They want to kill you, its not games in there." I responded "They want to kill us all. It's no different." So they let me go, and the mission went without issue. You encounter a lot of this in the military and you need to stand your ground from early on or it will become who you are. You are a strong soldier and no one's opinion of you can change that. Don't fall into the stereotypes.
By Natasha Santos8 years ago in Serve
Books Recommended by the US Military for Aspiring Soldiers. Top Story - January 2018.
Joining the military and becoming a good soldier is about more than just being physically fit and tough. The military also wants their soldiers to be intelligent and well versed in military history. There are many books recommended by the US military, from military tactics to tellings of any war in American history. These are ten books recommended by the US military.
By Kevin Simpson8 years ago in Serve
The Longest Wars in Human History
The longest wars in human history raged for hundreds of years. Conflicts over territory, religion, and ideals have spurred the most intense fighting this world has ever seen, and this list names but a few of them. In fact, many of these wars still stir hatred and strife today.
By Dr. Ethan Levi8 years ago in Serve
Fly High Sir
I just want to dedicate this to a man who I’ve never met yet I feel like he’s right beside me. I know he’s looking down at me, hopefully with a smile and nod of approval. But I must say I'm sorry that I let you down sir, cause I boarded the plane back to Michigan and left her down in Missouri. I made the promise to take care of her and to protect her from evil as best as I can, yet I have no idea how I'm supposed to keep that, and I haven’t found a way since I came back home and she's 589 miles away. But I promise you this sir if she ever calls me and needs to talk for whatever I’ll drop life and try to wipe away her tears despite the distance. If she ever came back around my neck of the woods, I’ll be right there treating my sister like she deserves. I always called her my princess and she hates it when I call her that right now considering she found a new prince. I will always call her my princess because I made the promise to call her my princess, and lord knows I will always be able to find a way to keep my promises.
By josh napper8 years ago in Serve
The Best US Military Photos of 2017
The photos we selected for the best US military photos of 2017 embody not just military might, but human spirit. From the desert to the ocean to the stars, these photos capture moments of extreme determination, perseverance, ingenuity, love, and beauty.
By Taylor Markarian8 years ago in Serve
Biggest Military Stories of 2017 that Captivated Americans
2017 was a big year for breaking news and stories, and the military was no exception to these big stories. 2017 gave the armed forces a new commander-in-chief and a litany of other stories hit front pages and Twitter. These are the biggest military stories of 2017.
By Kevin Simpson8 years ago in Serve
The Best Military Movies of 2017
2017 marked a year that was filled with dazzling movies from every genre imaginable—including military movies and war movies. If you're like many vets or families of veterans, watching excellent war movies and miniseries can make you feel a bit proud or even feel like someone out in Hollywood might understand you a bit better.
By Riley Raul Reese8 years ago in Serve
