Kappa Alumni of Sigma Phi Delta, Inc.

This Veteran's Day, as we honor those men and women who have served our country, we wanted to take the time to honor some of our fellow Kappa Chapter veterans by writing about their experiences with the armed forces. Jesse Hardy, Mitch Spidel, and Brent Jacobs were kind enough to share their stories. These three Sigma Phi Delta men have a wide range of experience and have traveled to a wide range of locations around the world during their service. Brother Brent Jacobs made the decision to join the military while he was still attending Tri-State University. He decided to join the US Army Corps of Engineers as a Bridge Crewmember (21C) and served for four years of active duty with the 502nd Engineering Company in Hanau, Germany. He was responsible for constructing various types of bridges necessary for operations. Brother Mitch Spidel completed 12 weeks of Officer Candidate School (OCS) during the summer of his junior year at Tri-State University. Shortly after graduating from college, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps in May of 2006. Following his commissioning, he endured six months of basic officer training and was selected to serve as a Combat Engineer. His duties mirrored that of a military version of a general contractor responsible for conducting engineer reconnaissance, obstacle emplacement, explosive breaching, construction/repair of buildings and roads, and various types of project management. Brother Jesse Hardy joined the military in 2005, during the middle of his college career at Tri-State University, and began serving in the Indiana Army National Guard. He started off as an Infantryman with the rank of Private First Class, and then shortly after his basic combat and infantry training, he made the decision to attend Officer Candidate School (OCS), where he was trained to lead a platoon of approximately 20-40 soldiers. He earned a promotion to Second Lieutenant following his success in OCS, and he was given the opportunity to take charge of a Cavalry Scout Platoon. His experience eventually led him to participating in the Armor Officer Basic and Army Reconnaissance courses, where he learned how to lead mounted (vehicle based) units, earning him a promotion to First Lieutenant after the completion of these courses.

During Brent's service in the Army, he spent over half of his time in Iraq stationed in several of Saddam's palaces in Tikrit as well as at the LSA Anaconda base near Balad. One of his most important contributions included aiding in the construction of the Birthday Bridge in Tikrit, Iraq, which is the longest floating bridge ever built in combat. Brent was actually stationed in Iraq when Saddam Hussein was found. He now lives in Hanau, Germany as a civilian with his wife and two sons and has lived there for close to ten years now. After taking up residence in Hanau, he completed his Fachabitur, which is similar to a community college and has been working as a Ramp Agent for the Frankfurt am Main Airport.

As an officer in the Marines, Mitch's duties include the planning, coordination, and training that is necessary to accomplish the various missions handed down from our nation’s leaders. Throughout his experience, these duties have encompassed several positions including: Military Bridge Platoon Commander, Battalion Assistant Operations Officer, Expeditionary Engineering Detachment Commander, Assistance Division Engineer, Headquarters Company Commander, Battalion Logistics Officer, and a General’s Staff Future Operations Planner. His military career has taken him to 20 different countries, and he has been stationed in North Carolina, Japan, and Virginia. He has deployed three times. Two of those deployments were with the U.S. Navy to various locations in the Mediterranean Sea and Persian Gulf as part of a Marine Expeditionary Unit. Mitch is married with two children and is still serving as a Major in United States Marine Corps. He is currently deployed in the Middle East in support of a Combined Joint Task Force.

As Jesse was nearing graduation in early 2009, an opportunity arose for him to volunteer for a deployment to eastern Afghanistan as a part of an Agribusiness Development Team. Due to the recession and failing job market at the time, he made the decision to accept the opportunity. His team’s mission was to take National Guard members, who were experts in farming and agriculture, to Afghanistan in order to help build up the Afghan economy. Jesse was responsible for the security of the team, and he led a platoon of 36 soldiers. The deployment lasted for a year, and their job during that time was to escort the members of the agriculture team to and from various villages and government centers where they would meet with Afghan farmers and government officials. Jesse returned home in the fall of 2011, and he was offered a position as an Officer Candidate School trainer, which he accepted. The responsibilities of this new role included the training of both prior-enlisted and new soldiers on how to become leaders and Officers. Later, in 2012, he was promoted to Captain and remained with the OCS program until the end of his contract in 2014 when he elected to separate from the military in order to focus on his family and career as an engineer. He is currently married and recently had his first child.

Knowing where these Phi Delt men ended up, it was interesting to find out how they got there and what motivated them to join in the first place. All it took for Mitch was a nudge from another serviceman in his family. "During my sophomore year at Tri-State, I started to lose focus on who I wanted to be and where I was going. My motivation was steadily declining, and I think that my grandfather began to take notice. My grandfather, a retired Marine, sent me a large manila envelope in the mail. Inside of the envelope was a USMC Officer Recruiting poster with a business card stapled to the corner. I can’t remember what the poster said but the imagery alone was enough to peak my interest. I called the recruiter to request more information and was drawn closer every step of the way. The Marine Corps straightened me out and drove me to finish my degree in engineering." Jesse was also inspired by his grandfather, but coincidentally enough, he was also inspired by one of the other Brothers featured in this article. "The military was something that always interested me as a child, but I never desired it as a full-time career. My grandfather served as an Army tanker during the Korean War, so I always knew that if I did join, the Army would be the way I would go. I was in high school when September 11th happened followed by our invasions of Afghanistan and later Iraq. Patriotism and a desire to serve were high amongst many young men and women at this time including myself and a few of my friends. These friends found out the Army National Guard would allow you to join at 17, start training while in high school, and better yet give you a paycheck and money for college. They signed up and wanted me to come with them, but being 17 you had to have parental consent. At the time my parents were opposed to the idea of me serving and wanted me to focus on going to college so I headed to their desires. After coming to Tri-State and joining the Fraternity, I met brother Mitch Spidel who was training during the summers to become an officer in the Marine Corps. This inspired me again to rekindle my desire to serve. Now that I had some college credits under my belt, I was eligible to apply to become an officer. Although I was legally an “adult” by that point, I still wanted to get a blessing from my parents, which became a much easier sell with the role as officer and more money for college. The rest is history." Brent, in addition to wanting to be able to serve his country, made his decision also based on a financial aspect. One main reason he was attracted to serving was due to the GI Bill, which would allow him to be able to finish his studies.

With any experience in life, especially a life in the military, there are parts that are challenging and parts that are rewarding. For Brent, these two were one in the same. "Strangely enough the worst and best part of the Army was the traveling. It was always cool to go somewhere new and see the world but was sometimes hard being away from home. We were stationed, for I believe, around two months in France for the 60th D-Day anniversary. Our job was to basically play chauffeur for high ranking military and people like Tom Hanks visiting the ceremonies. The first couple of weeks we were to learn the roads. I received my rental car and was told "okay now you can learn your way around." Although it took a bit, as I had never driven a manual transmission until that moment, it was a wonderful experience." Jesse was challenged by the time that he had to spend away from loved ones, but it was all worth it when he was able to inspire others at the end of his National Guard career. "The most difficult part was spending time away from friends and family during long drill weekends, various schools, and the year deployment. The most rewarding part, besides being able to give back to my Country, was my time as an OCS trainer when I got to see people transform from an “average Joe” into effective leaders." Mitch struggled with the rapid transition into his leadership position, but that struggle and his success with that transition became one of the most rewarding experiences for him. "For me, the most difficult part about serving in the Marine Corps deals with my role as a leader. There are individuals that are natural leaders. Independent thinkers. Visionaries. These individuals often thrive in uncertainty. These talents didn’t come natural to me. For a number of reasons, being a leader is by far the hardest part of being a Marine. Through training, mentorship, and the support of my family, I have been able to work beyond many of these limitations. Therefor the most rewarding part about serving in the military is accomplishing tasks that never would have been possible without having worked outside of my comfort zone. It is rewarding because I am not only part of a group of individuals who accomplished something great, but also because it forced me to push past my so called limits."

Through every tough situation that life throws at us, there are always those things that we hold on to in order to find the motivation to keep going and not give up. This rings more true when you're living a life in the military. Jesse tried to keep his focus on the family and friends that were supporting him back home. "[The thing that kept me motivated] would have to be my support group back home. I knew that no matter what was going on, I had a strong group of friends and family to encourage me. The best part was receiving letters and packages while I was away to know I hadn’t been forgotten. A special shout out here goes to my big brother, Jables [Jake Black], who always found time to write letters and send photographic “memories” from our glory days." Mitch found motivation in all of the good that he was doing but also counted on his loved ones to get him through, and they still help keep him going as he serves today. "My military experience has been very rewarding, both professionally and personally. I have had the privilege to serve with many of the finest people that our country has to offer. As a team, we have supported armed conflicts, provided humanitarian aid, and trained partnered nations. These experiences have helped me to grow as a leader and pushed me far beyond what I thought was possible. I have also been blessed to share my career and life experiences with my wife, Jennifer, who is also an Alumni of Tri-State University. We have two children, Addison (4) and Myles (2). I owe much of my success to their love and support."

For anyone who is (or knows someone who is) contemplating a career in the armed forces, who better than these fine gentlemen to give some friendly advice. Brent offered words of personal and cultural growth that he experienced during his service. "I believe everyone should join the military; at least basic training. It is a great chance to learn about yourself and redefine your personal limits. It also widened my perspective by all the traveling I was able to do including Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, Spain, Germany, Netherlands, Austria, Scotland, and France. Not to mention my brothers in arms from every walk of life and nationality." Jesse spoke of the honor that goes along with serving your country but stressed that it's not for everyone so it's important to be informed before making a decision either way. "Serving our country is an honorable and rewarding career choice. This, however, doesn’t come without its challenges and sacrifices. Make sure you do your homework before signing up to ensure it’s the right choice for you. If anyone is considering the military as a career choice, I’d be more than happy to discuss my experiences with them." Mitch commented on the variety of experiences involved with a military career including the invaluable life lessons that go along with it. "I would gladly encourage all who are interested in serving in the military. My experience has been rewarding, challenging, fulfilling, and downright fun! On the other hand, I would never attempt to convince someone that the military had everything that they were looking for. It is a profession that doesn’t promise you fame or fortune. There are times that can be discouraging and uncomfortable. But, in my experience, the brotherhood, the life lessons, and the professional development has shaped who I am today. This is a work environment for which there is no comparison."

Mitch offered one final statement for the Brothers of Sigma Phi Delta. "I would like to thank Brother, Jake Black for asking me to write this message and all of the Brothers of Kappa Chapter from the past and the present for their friendship and support. Many of the relationships and lessons learned from the Brothers of SPD have stayed with me and driven me to settle for nothing less than my best effort." His gratitude does not fall on deaf ears, but it is really us who should be thanking these three Phi Delt men. Thank you Brother Brent Jacobs, Brother Mitch Spidel, and Brother Jesse Hardy for your service and for being an inspiration to Sigma Phi Delta men everywhere!