From the moment I raised my right arm and swore allegiance to my country and the Constitution which has guided us since it was penned, a weight was placed on my shoulders. Although it was a heavy weight, it was not uncomfortable, and something inside me...changed, I guess you could say.
That weight was responsibility. When I joined the Army, I was no longer a "citizen", I became the finger on the hand of the arm of the U.S. Constitution. I also had no doubt that my behavior could either strengthen or weaken that Constitution's influence, even if only to a minute degree. But that understanding was there. My years in service taught me the true meaning of some other words, like: honor, integrity, fidelity, loyalty and many others. But responsibility was an overriding and tangible entity in my mind, and it shaped me into the man I am today.
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