This week in Fence Post we are recognizing some of our FSA veterans in honor of Veterans Day. These men and women come from every region of the United States and represent all branches of the armed forces. We say thank you to all of our veterans for your service to this country.
Rob Haughton works at USDA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Semper Fi ‘til the day I die. I served 26 years in the Marine Corps and retired with the rank of major.
The Marine Corps — what a life-changing experience. The corps transformed me into the man I am today. There’s no other camaraderie in the armed forces as that of the Marines. It’s a lifelong brotherhood. We are the few, the proud — the Marines!
Being a Marine is more than a slogan; it’s a way of life. The Marine Corps’ core values are honor, courage, commitment. Spend a few minutes with any Marine and you can see that they live by these values — even retired Marines.
As I traveled around the world serving our nation, I couldn’t help but feel patriotic. I still do. The sense of camaraderie that developed in the military is very hard to duplicate. You absolutely have a sense of belonging to something larger.
The military also provides an identity and a purpose for one’s being. To be honest, I had only planned on serving for four years, but I found my passion in the corps and the next thing you know I had made a career of it.
As an organization, the military — and in particular the Marine Corps — does an exemplary job of focusing on the larger purpose of protecting our freedom and way of life. It is this same skill that I use at my job at FSA. I like taking on large projects that require me to look at the big picture, make a commitment to getting it done and see that it gets done. I don’t know if I would have been able to do that had if I had not gone into the military. I think it’s fair to say that the trajectory of my life would be very different.
Serving in the corps has impacted my life in so many ways. I grew up in the military. I met my beautiful wife in the military. My children were born while I was on active duty. I learned discipline and commitment from the corps. I learned how to plan and execute. The corps is responsible for the way I am today.
I would encourage all able Americans to serve a tour of duty in the military and join the best branch of the armed forces — the United States Marine Corps. All branches do an outstanding job serving but I’m obviously biased toward the corps. I would serve again if I could.
While there are other ways to serve our great nation, the military protects our way of life. One gets a unique understanding of citizenship when they serve in the military and I’m proud to have served in the United States Marine Corps. Semper Fidelis!
