Donald Skinner United States Army Veteran
Esprit De Corps.
I answered the call.
I still carry what that
decision cost.
From basic training to the last formation, I held to a standard most people only read about. This page is where I put some of that into words.
LDRSHIP
Seven words, one standard. These are the values drilled into me from day one at basic training, and the ones I still try to carry now that the uniform's off.
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L
Loyalty
Bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution, the Army, your unit, and other soldiers.
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D
Duty
Fulfill your obligations — to the mission, to the standard, and to the people standing next to you.
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R
Respect
Treat people as they should be treated, in the field and long after the uniform comes off.
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S
Selfless Service
Put the welfare of the nation, the Army, and your subordinates ahead of your own.
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H
Honor
Live up to all the Army values — not just when someone's watching.
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I
Integrity
Do what's right, legally and morally, even when it costs something.
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P
Personal Courage
Face fear, danger, or adversity — physical or moral — and do the job anyway.
The line I served in
The Army is older than the country it defends. My time in uniform is one chapter in a much longer line.
The Continental Congress establishes the Continental Army, placing George Washington in command — the birth of today's United States Army.
Citizen-soldiers by the hundreds of thousands mobilize during the Civil War, reshaping how the Army organizes and supplies itself for generations after.
American Expeditionary Forces deploy to France during World War I, the Army's first major sustained deployment overseas.
Thousands of soldiers answer the call across two theaters in World War II — the largest mobilization in the Army's history.
A new generation serves through Korea and Vietnam, enduring some of the harshest conditions and homecomings in modern Army history.
Post-9/11 soldiers deploy across the globe in the longest sustained combat operations the all-volunteer Army has known.
I'm one of the more than a million soldiers, active, Guard, and Reserve, who trained, deployed, or stood ready — and I carry that chapter with me now.
In my own words
I joined the Army needing direction more than I needed a uniform. Three years in, I got both. Enlisted life stripped away the excuses and handed me the discipline I didn't have and put me face to face with parts of myself I'd been avoiding. I struggled through it but something took root in those years that never left me. I came out with a different relationship to hard work, to service, to showing up for people even when it costs you something. That instinct still drives me today; in my work, in my community, in the belief that what I went through should count for something beyond myself. A U.S. Army Private
Resources for veterans and families
These are resources for all veterans, and ones I'd point any fellow veteran or their family toward.
Irreverent Warriors
We bring Veterans together using Humor and Camaraderie to improve mental health and prevent Veteran suicide.
irreverentwarriors.orgTravis Manion Foundation
Unites communities to strengthen our nation by empowering veterans and families of fallen heroes to develop character in future generations. "If Not Me, Then Who...".
travismanion.orgIAVA
The premier evidence-based advocacy organization for America’s post-9/11 veterans. Member-driven and grounded in rigorous research, we pursue policy change with the same courage our members brought to service.
iava.orgVA.gov
Health care, disability compensation, education benefits, and home loans administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
va.govVeterans of Foreign Wars
Local posts, advocacy, and community support for veterans and their families across the country.
vfw.orgDisabled American Veterans
Free assistance filing VA claims, plus rides to medical appointments for veterans who need them.
dav.orgVeterans Crisis Line: Dial 988, then press 1, or text 838255 to reach a confidential, 24/7 responder. Not a veteran but worried about one? The line is open to family and friends too.