Service, Sacrifice, and a Lifetime of Lessons
By Paul A. Bauer Jr.
I graduated from high school at age 17 in New York City and spent about five months attending community college. While college was a respectable path, it was not the path for me at that time. I was restless, looking for adventure, purpose, and a chance to see more of the world than the concrete jungle where I grew up.
The Vietnam War was winding down, and like some young men of my generation, I volunteered for military service believing I might be sent there. I was told that option was no longer available because the United States was no longer sending troops into Vietnam. I also learned that military police and armor were not open to me at the time. Instead, I found what would become a life-changing career as an Airborne infantryman and intelligence professional in the United States Army.
What began as a search for adventure became a 22-year career of service to our nation.
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During my Army career, I served in a variety of leadership, intelligence, and operational assignments throughout the United States and overseas. One of the most unique assignments was in Cold War Berlin, where I worked alongside British intelligence personnel and participated in reconnaissance and surveillance operations throughout East Berlin and East Germany.
Those missions involved ground, air, and rail excursions into East Germany, where we monitored military activities and helped ensure the United States and its allies maintained access rights within the Soviet-controlled sectors of Berlin. It was a fascinating and often tense period in world history. Every mission required discipline, attention to detail, and a clear understanding of the stakes involved in the global struggle between freedom and communism.
Throughout my career, I served as an infantry leader, intelligence operations supervisor, trainer, instructor, and mentor. I supervised units ranging from small teams to organizations responsible for hundreds of personnel. I also had the privilege of training soldiers and evaluating senior college students preparing to become commissioned officers through ROTC programs.
The Army provided opportunities I never could have imagined as a teenager. I trained and conducted operations in Germany, Panama, Guam, and throughout the United States. I learned leadership under pressure, how to make decisions with limited information, and how to care for the men and women entrusted to my supervision.
One of the greatest challenges I faced came during an airborne assault operation when I was seriously injured in a parachute accident. I was medically evacuated and spent six months recovering from my injuries. For many people, such an experience might have ended their airborne career. For me, it became a test of perseverance.
I focused on rehabilitation, stayed committed to my responsibilities, and worked my way back to full duty. Eventually, I returned to airborne status and continued serving as a Platoon Sergeant in the 82nd Airborne Division. The experience reinforced an important lesson: setbacks do not define us. What defines us is how we respond to adversity.
The most significant lesson I learned during my military service was that leadership is not about rank. It is about responsibility.
A good leader takes care of people, accomplishes the mission, and sets the example. Soldiers quickly recognize the difference between leaders who serve themselves and leaders who serve others. The best leaders I encountered possessed courage, competence, humility, and a willingness to share hardships with their troops. Those lessons remained with me throughout my military career and later influenced my work in business, community service, and elected office.
Perhaps my proudest professional achievement came near the end of my military career when I fulfilled a lifelong goal of becoming an Airborne Infantry Company First Sergeant. I was assigned to the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment at Fort Richardson, Alaska. What began as a four-year assignment became something much more meaningful.
My wife Deborah, our two sons, and I fell in love with Alaska.
When faced with a choice between attending the Sergeant Major Academy in El Paso, Texas, and extending my military career, or remaining in Alaska and building a life here, we chose Alaska. It was one of the most important decisions our family ever made. More than 35 years later, Alaska remains our home.
Military service also became part of our family’s legacy. My younger son, Christopher, chose to serve in the United States Air Force as a B-52 crew chief. Watching him wear the uniform and serve his country made me incredibly proud. Every generation faces different challenges, but the values of duty, service, and sacrifice remain timeless.
People sometimes ask whether I have any regrets.
The answer is both yes and no.
No, because I have been blessed with a wonderful family, a successful career, and the opportunity to live in Alaska. Yes, because there are still days when I miss the camaraderie, sense of purpose, and mission that come with military service. If I were young again, I would gladly do it all over.
If I could say one thing to young Americans between the ages of 18 and 25, it would be this: Consider serving your country.
There is honor in military service. There is personal growth in military service. There is opportunity in military service.
You can travel, learn valuable skills, learn a trade, receive an education, and build lifelong friendships while being paid to serve something greater than yourself. The military provides structure, discipline, leadership development, and long-term benefits that can help secure your future and support your family.
Go while you are young, energetic, and curious about the world. Challenge yourself. Learning something difficult. Become part of a team. The nation needs young men and women willing to step forward and serve.
For me, that decision at age 17 changed the course of my life. It gave me purpose, opportunity, and experiences I could never have imagined. More importantly, it taught me that freedom is never free and that every generation has a responsibility to preserve it for the next.
I am proud to have served.
