Learning Importance to Veterans

I didn’t set out to create a blog series on this topic. But after re-reading my last article, I realized something — this conversation is needed. The number of people who read it (or at least clicked on it) was higher than I expected. That told me the importance of this subject may be greater than I first thought. This series explores what is important to Veterans, and this week we’re talking about something foundational: learning.

So we’re going to continue it.

Why Learning is Important to Us?

This week: Learning.

Veterans, like everyone else, are complex. We all have different needs, wants, political views, strengths, weaknesses, and abilities. We come from every possible background. But there is one thing that unites us:

We understand the value of learning.

That doesn’t mean we all want to go to college. In fact, many Veterans prefer hands-on experience over a classroom. But every one of us understands this truth: if you don’t learn, you don’t survive. And the guy who refuses to learn? He’s not someone we want to share the proverbial foxhole with.

In the military, learning isn’t optional. It isn’t theoretical. It is not a résumé builder. But it is directly tied to coming home alive. That desire — to come home alive — is universal. Anyone who doesn’t have that instinct isn’t mentally well and shouldn’t be wearing the uniform.

Learning becomes second nature. It’s tied to family. It is tied to responsibility. It’s tied to survival.

Diversity is in the Military’s Blood

We come from every walk of life, and that diversity is one of our greatest strengths. During my 12 years in the United States Army, I learned something new almost every day — often from the person standing next to me. Every Soldier brings a different background, a different skill set, and something they’ve spent years mastering.

Take Chuck Norris as an example. Before he became a cultural icon, he was an Airman serving in Korea. It was there that he began learning martial arts — training with fellow service members and in local dojangs (Against All Odds). That commitment to learning shaped the rest of his life. He didn’t just gain skill; he gained discipline, purpose, and eventually the ability to teach others.

That’s what Veterans do. We learn then apply. We live. And then we teach.

Learning is Survival

Learning is not just something we do — it is part of who we are. It is how we survive. It’s something I teach my children. The lessons are often direct, sometimes blunt, even harsh — but they all point to the same truth: learning equals survival. And survival means coming home again.

What I’ve also learned as a Veteran is that sometimes we resist learning. To learn something new often means changing the way we were taught to survive. The military relies on tried-and-true methods. I went to basic training in 2000 — before September 11, before extended desert and urban warfare, before urban combat became the norm. We were still training for trench warfare and large-scale jungle battles.

Then we deployed — and none of that looked the same.

What allowed us to survive wasn’t the exact scenario we trained for. It was our ability to adapt and overcome. The core principles were still there: shoot, move, communicate. The world may change. Wars may look different. Even tactics that date back centuries — from the Crusades to modern conflicts — are built on similar foundations. They are simply adapted for the battlefield of the day.

Training is Learning

I trained as a crew-served weapons infantryman, and I am proud of that branch of service. I learned how to kick down doors, read maps, drive military vehicles, fire TOW missiles, operate heavy machine guns, learned how to kill indiscriminately, learned how to lay my life down for my brothers and country, and I learned how to not care about people’s feelings.

What I didn’t learn was how to communicate with civilians.

When I went to college, I didn’t know how to relate to traditional students. Yes, they were technically adults — but life experience made them feel like kids to me. I was focused on learning things that felt meaningful and practical. They were living a completely different reality. They didn’t understand the gravity a Veteran carries — or why bluntness isn’t aggression, but efficiency.

And then life hit harder than any transition class ever could.

When one of my best friends, Jimmy, took his own life, I didn’t know how to live. An hour before he did it, he reached out to me. I didn’t take the call. I hadn’t learned how to navigate civilian life — and neither had he.

We were trained to preserve ourselves and keep our brothers alive. We were not trained on how to truly live afterward. That’s why these articles matter.

To the Veterans

To the Veterans reading this: you are still learning. When you feel like you can’t learn anymore — keep reaching out. Never stop. It doesn’t matter if you were combat arms or support, active duty or Guard. We learned the same foundational lessons about survival. But now we must learn something more.

We must learn the value of life beyond survival. Because surviving the battlefield is only part of the mission. Learning how to live after it — that’s the rest of it.

To the Civilians

Civilians never stop learning about those that served because they can teach you how to survive, and you can teach them how to heal. You can save their life and care about your “heroes.” Save them to help save you!

Until next time:

PEACE

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