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CPT John R. Hill, Class of 1973
"I John R. Hill, having been appointed a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army under the conditions indicated in this document, do accept such appointment and do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter, so help me God."
That was the oath I took when I was commissioned into the United States Army in May of 1973. I earned the Ranger tab and Airborne wings, both of which I am proud of to this day, and I was commissioned into the United States Infantry.
My first assignment was with the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Division, Ft. Riley, Kansas. I had the good fortune to serve three years in the United States and three years in Mannheim, Germany. Clearly, I was not a career solider, and I never achieved the prestigious rank of several of my fellow colleagues: Major General (Ret) Jeff Lambert, LTC Brian McConnell, LTC Chuck Brantley, Major Vernon Vollertsen, Major Brian Nacci and so many other patriots who served our country so well, so honorably, and so selflessly. I salute each of them and YOU for the sacrifice, service, and commitment you have made to our country.
As I reflect back on my time at OU, I realize that the leadership training I received through the Army ROTC department was probably the single most important training I would receive at OU. John Maxwell, Christian Pastor and author, in his book The 21 Most Powerful Minutes in a Leader’s Day, states, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” I didn’t read Maxwell’s leadership book until many years after I had graduated from OU. Today, I realize the importance and truth of that statement. Success or failure are often the result of leadership. Good leaders focus on others and the mission, not on selfish desires or ambitions. Leadership is about setting aside self and helping others achieve excellence.
While I was at OU, I had the good fortune to be selected as the Cadet Brigade Commander during my senior year. As I recall, I was pretty impressed with myself and the achievement I had accomplished. Unfortunately, for me, it took several more years before I realized that leadership is about serving others and not about “privilege.” It is most certainly not a matter of “rank having its privileges.” When you finally take your oath of office, you, too, will be asked to pledge your commitment to serve our great country. As a condition of serving our country, you must also lead the men and women who have been assigned to your unit. I urge you to keep in mind that leadership is about serving and not being served. Leadership is about doing what is right, not what is popular. Leadership is about helping others to develop, to set and achieve goals, or (to use an old army phrase) to help others be all they can be. Leadership demands sacrifice. In the military, successful leadership preserves the freedoms of our great nation. In business, to lead successfully preserves free enterprise and develops the leaders of tomorrow.
You are in the ROTC department at the University of Oklahoma to learn to lead. Learn it well, perform it well, and you will succeed at whatever you choose to do.
