Service is lifestyle for Army veteran
Robert Charles remembers Sept. 11, 2001, as more than a dark day. It was the day he glimpsed his future.
Eyes glued to the TV screen at his elementary school, Charles watched the Twin Towers fall and learned about the other hijacked planes. If he had been 18, not 8, he would have enlisted on the spot.
“I’ve always had the urge to be in uniform — to protect and serve — because of that moment when I saw the terrorists attack,” he said.
That desire to step up, no matter the cost, has never wavered. For Charles, it hits close to home. Broken homes and lack of vision weave through his family history. He wanted those negative cycles to end with him.
Twenty-three years later, wrapping up his Army service and preparing to launch from San Jacinto College, he is gaining ground.
Joining the Army
After high school, he worked full time to help support his family. But in 2016, a
job layoff had the 24-year-old marching straight to an Army recruiter’s office.
As a horizontal construction engineer, Charles jumped from high-performance aircraft to repair landing strips for supply planes. But more than accomplishing the mission, he pledged to protect the young paratroopers under his command.
In Afghanistan, Charles served in an armored vehicle convoy that cleared bombs. The day two military brothers in his division lost their lives remains seared in his mind.
“I was not on that mission with them that horrible day,” he said. “They are heroes during Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. They gave their all for this country.”
Finding home at San Jac
While the military grew his resilience and assertiveness, it brought Charles face to face with the “fragility of life” and the need for a larger mission. After returning from Afghanistan, he struggled to untangle his identity from the military.
“It took a while for me to realize my identify shouldn’t come from my achievements,” he said. “It comes from Christ.”
Years earlier, Charles had dropped out of San Jac to work full time. Now nondeployable because of injuries, he decided to return. What drew him to the College were affordable tuition and convenience. What kept him there were the people — from veteran services staff to professors.
San Jac was home.
“I’m not just a number here,” he said. “I’m a person.”
Navigating college as a veteran
What has Charles found most challenging about returning to school? He says a new schedule each semester.
The military routine, while “chaotic order,” felt “amazing.” Falling out of his bunk at 5 a.m. Scrambling to dress. Standing in formation. Listening to the Reveille bugle call. Cycling through physical training exercises.
Coming out of the military isn’t the end of a chapter. It’s the beginning of a new one.
Although setting his own routine now sometimes feels uncomfortable, he can’t drop a class because of his veteran education benefits. To succeed, he focuses on the future.
“Coming out of the military isn’t the end of a chapter,” he said. “It’s the beginning of a new one.”
He encourages other veterans not only to rely on San Jac’s veteran resources but also to ask for help.
“We have people here who care about our veterans,” he said. “That means a lot right there.”
Pursuing his purpose
After earning his computer science associate degree next year, Charles will pursue bachelor’s degrees in computer science, math, cybersecurity, and theological studies.
He explains: “Options.”
Maybe he’ll teach math part time and work in the IT field. Or maybe he’ll pursue full-time ministry and mentor youth.
In a country where few join the military and many struggle to find their purpose, Charles knows his: serving regardless of personal gain.
“The Lord has given me this opportunity to be in college,” he said. “I want to use it for his kingdom.”
