WFAE 90.7 - Charlotte's NPR News Source
Why I Served: Kevin Garcia
By Joe Kendrick
November 11, 2026 at 7:36 AM EST
Kevin Garcia served 22 years in the U.S. Army, from 2000 to 2022, as an infantryman posted at bases around the US and in Italy.
He joined for what he calls "selfish reasons." His father also served 20 years in the Army, and he saw the military as a way to travel and make an honest living. He also saw it as a way out of the house, since he wasn't a strong student or an easy kid.
Garcia knew his soldiers were watching him, so he always tried to do the right thing. He volunteers with Veterans Bridge Home and the veterans community, so others see they can do the same.
The following has been lightly edited for clarity.
Joe Kendrick: Could we first get you to state your name and where you served?
Kevin Garcia: Sure. My name is Command Sergeant Major Retired Kevin Garcia. I've served in many different locations. I was in the United States Army for 22 years. I started at the young age of 17. I joined in 2000 and then retired in 2022.
Kendrick: Where did you serve?
Garcia: I served in many different places, from Fort Bragg, North Carolina to Fort Drum, New York. I've been in Florida in in in in in I guess the the Destin area in Florida, Fort Walton Beach. I've served in Korea. I've served in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Uh where else? It's a lot to name.
Oh, in Vicenza, Italy. Just in yeah, just naming a few. Those are the places I've been.
Kendrick: What did you do in the army?
Garcia: So, I was an 11 Bravo. So, I was an infantryman the entire time I was in the military.
Kendrick: Why did you serve?
Garcia: For selfish reasons. This is probably not going to make the cut. However, I served at the young age of 17, and I preface that with my father was also in the military. He served 20 years as well. And so, he was in the Army as well. So, that's what I've seen growing up. I knew that I can travel. I knew that I can you know, it was a it was a it was a great living. It was a honest living.
It was a method to get me essentially out of the house. I wasn't necessarily the greatest kid growing up. So, I wasn't good at school. I wasn't good at, you know, doing the things in school. So, I decided the military was the way I wanted to go. But I think the bigger statement is: why did I continue to serve? And I continued to serve. I reenlisted three or four times, I think it was. I think it's three times.
But I continued to serve mostly because of the impact that I was making for the soldiers that were beneath me. When I was growing up and when I was 17 and, you know, starting off in the army, I seen a lot of good leadership. I seen a lot of bad leadership. And, my motivation to get to the higher ranks was to provide great leadership to subordinates beneath me.
And that's mainly the reason why I continued to serve. Now, yeah, it's a great opportunity for my family. It's great opportunity for me. Great benefits. All that aside, the biggest the the biggest reason why I continued to serve was the impact that I made on soldiers that to this day to to this day call me or text me and tell me how much of an impact I made in their lives and how much I've raised them either as a man or a woman.
So, that's the greatest gratification you could ever have.
Kendrick: What would you like to say to the public? Perhaps also to veterans on Veterans Day?
Garcia: I would say to the public, I would say encourage your children, encourage your teenagers, encourage your adults to venture on that journey of the military. I think it's a great journey. I think it makes you who you are as a person.
And at the end of the day, it makes a person provide value to the rest of the community. We think in that mindset. We think in a community mindset. So, we're only, you know, as strong as our weakest link. So, we have to be able to kind of bring that out of us sometimes and the military did that for me personally.
For veterans, I would say that it was an absolute pleasure to be not only a leader in the military, but a coach and a mentor to those that were growing up in the military with me.
While there's hard times as as a as a as as a military service member, that you know, later on when you retire or when you're finished with your service and you and and and you meet those that also served with you or served you know, in in other places, uh there's there's a there's a sense of immense pride that you get just by serving, just by being around those individuals.
So, yeah.
Kendrick: That's great. Do you have any other thoughts that you'd like to share?
Garcia: No, you know, you know, I wrote down a bunch of things that I think that are what the military taught me, how it prepared me for the civilian world.
But at the end of the day, I think personally that most people, unless they grew up in a system or in a household that, you know, really projects that patriotism of joining the service, it's not so much of why did I serve? It's why did I continue to serve? And not everybody has that story, I guess.
For me, I do. And it wasn't, again, I served because for selfish reasons, but I stayed for, you know, unselfish reasons. I stayed because of the people around me and the people that I can help. And you know, to this day, I'm I'm still doing my best to help those veterans or to help people and and and and that that was instilled in me. I didn't have that you know, joining the military. But throughout the course of my military career, that's what I gained.
Kendrick: What's a best-case scenario for veterans to do what you're talking about, to serve other veterans or to serve people actively serving in the military?
Garcia: Join organizations. You know, like reach out. There's I mean, you know, great organizations like Veterans Bridge Home is is is is a great starting place especially here in Charlotte. But continue to be part of that community. There's plenty of veterans that you know, kind of do their service and kind of forget that piece.
But even when I connect with those individuals that kind of you know, walked away from the military, started their civilian career, very successful, when I connect with those people, they remember, and they gravitate back to, you know, that fraternity that's the military.
And not my words, but you know, some of the people that I talked to said there's something about just getting back together and talking through some of the things we share uh as an experience. And that's important for them. So, for the veterans, I say hey, you know, maintain those relationships at all at all cost. Because those relationships later on can save lives and help people in need.
Kendrick: What should we be aware about with veterans who have challenges, who may have issues? What should the public know? What could the public do to help?
Garcia: Yeah, I, you know, I wish I was a social worker and I can answer that intelligently. But what I will say is I don't think you have to be a service member to have PTSD, right? I don't think you have to be a, you know, you don't have to be just a service member to have issues. Everybody has issues. And how do we treat those that have issues in the civilian world? No different from what you do in the military world.
And, you know, be present in their life. Ask them questions. Talk to them. And kind of not necessarily with the intention of helping them through a process, but with the intention to care. And caring is probably the number one characteristic of a leader in the military. They have to care.
And if you don't care, you know, it's going to show. It's going to show. But one of the biggest things for me as a leader and, growing up in the military, is I knew people were watching me. I knew my soldiers were watching me. So, I always had to do the right thing. Everything that I did was with the perspective and the understanding that somebody was watching me to emulate me.
Somebody was watching me to, maybe, you know, repeat my actions or say Hey, Sergeant Major Garcia did it, maybe I should do it this way as well. So, I say that to say that when I do go out to these events and I do volunteer for VBH or I do volunteer for the veterans community, I do that so that other people can see that they can do it as well.
And so, you know, just continue to be a part of that community. Continue to be part of that group of people that, you know, supported you throughout your career.
Kendrick: Kevin Garcia, thank you so much for your time. It's great to talk to you.
Garcia: I appreciate it. Thank you.
He joined for what he calls "selfish reasons." His father also served 20 years in the Army, and he saw the military as a way to travel and make an honest living. He also saw it as a way out of the house, since he wasn't a strong student or an easy kid.
Garcia knew his soldiers were watching him, so he always tried to do the right thing. He volunteers with Veterans Bridge Home and the veterans community, so others see they can do the same.
The following has been lightly edited for clarity.
Joe Kendrick: Could we first get you to state your name and where you served?
Kevin Garcia: Sure. My name is Command Sergeant Major Retired Kevin Garcia. I've served in many different locations. I was in the United States Army for 22 years. I started at the young age of 17. I joined in 2000 and then retired in 2022.
Kendrick: Where did you serve?
Garcia: I served in many different places, from Fort Bragg, North Carolina to Fort Drum, New York. I've been in Florida in in in in in I guess the the Destin area in Florida, Fort Walton Beach. I've served in Korea. I've served in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Uh where else? It's a lot to name.
Oh, in Vicenza, Italy. Just in yeah, just naming a few. Those are the places I've been.
Kendrick: What did you do in the army?
Garcia: So, I was an 11 Bravo. So, I was an infantryman the entire time I was in the military.
Kendrick: Why did you serve?
Garcia: For selfish reasons. This is probably not going to make the cut. However, I served at the young age of 17, and I preface that with my father was also in the military. He served 20 years as well. And so, he was in the Army as well. So, that's what I've seen growing up. I knew that I can travel. I knew that I can you know, it was a it was a it was a great living. It was a honest living.
It was a method to get me essentially out of the house. I wasn't necessarily the greatest kid growing up. So, I wasn't good at school. I wasn't good at, you know, doing the things in school. So, I decided the military was the way I wanted to go. But I think the bigger statement is: why did I continue to serve? And I continued to serve. I reenlisted three or four times, I think it was. I think it's three times.
But I continued to serve mostly because of the impact that I was making for the soldiers that were beneath me. When I was growing up and when I was 17 and, you know, starting off in the army, I seen a lot of good leadership. I seen a lot of bad leadership. And, my motivation to get to the higher ranks was to provide great leadership to subordinates beneath me.
And that's mainly the reason why I continued to serve. Now, yeah, it's a great opportunity for my family. It's great opportunity for me. Great benefits. All that aside, the biggest the the biggest reason why I continued to serve was the impact that I made on soldiers that to this day to to this day call me or text me and tell me how much of an impact I made in their lives and how much I've raised them either as a man or a woman.
So, that's the greatest gratification you could ever have.
Kendrick: What would you like to say to the public? Perhaps also to veterans on Veterans Day?
Garcia: I would say to the public, I would say encourage your children, encourage your teenagers, encourage your adults to venture on that journey of the military. I think it's a great journey. I think it makes you who you are as a person.
And at the end of the day, it makes a person provide value to the rest of the community. We think in that mindset. We think in a community mindset. So, we're only, you know, as strong as our weakest link. So, we have to be able to kind of bring that out of us sometimes and the military did that for me personally.
For veterans, I would say that it was an absolute pleasure to be not only a leader in the military, but a coach and a mentor to those that were growing up in the military with me.
While there's hard times as as a as a as as a military service member, that you know, later on when you retire or when you're finished with your service and you and and and you meet those that also served with you or served you know, in in other places, uh there's there's a there's a sense of immense pride that you get just by serving, just by being around those individuals.
So, yeah.
Kendrick: That's great. Do you have any other thoughts that you'd like to share?
Garcia: No, you know, you know, I wrote down a bunch of things that I think that are what the military taught me, how it prepared me for the civilian world.
But at the end of the day, I think personally that most people, unless they grew up in a system or in a household that, you know, really projects that patriotism of joining the service, it's not so much of why did I serve? It's why did I continue to serve? And not everybody has that story, I guess.
For me, I do. And it wasn't, again, I served because for selfish reasons, but I stayed for, you know, unselfish reasons. I stayed because of the people around me and the people that I can help. And you know, to this day, I'm I'm still doing my best to help those veterans or to help people and and and and that that was instilled in me. I didn't have that you know, joining the military. But throughout the course of my military career, that's what I gained.
Kendrick: What's a best-case scenario for veterans to do what you're talking about, to serve other veterans or to serve people actively serving in the military?
Garcia: Join organizations. You know, like reach out. There's I mean, you know, great organizations like Veterans Bridge Home is is is is a great starting place especially here in Charlotte. But continue to be part of that community. There's plenty of veterans that you know, kind of do their service and kind of forget that piece.
But even when I connect with those individuals that kind of you know, walked away from the military, started their civilian career, very successful, when I connect with those people, they remember, and they gravitate back to, you know, that fraternity that's the military.
And not my words, but you know, some of the people that I talked to said there's something about just getting back together and talking through some of the things we share uh as an experience. And that's important for them. So, for the veterans, I say hey, you know, maintain those relationships at all at all cost. Because those relationships later on can save lives and help people in need.
Kendrick: What should we be aware about with veterans who have challenges, who may have issues? What should the public know? What could the public do to help?
Garcia: Yeah, I, you know, I wish I was a social worker and I can answer that intelligently. But what I will say is I don't think you have to be a service member to have PTSD, right? I don't think you have to be a, you know, you don't have to be just a service member to have issues. Everybody has issues. And how do we treat those that have issues in the civilian world? No different from what you do in the military world.
And, you know, be present in their life. Ask them questions. Talk to them. And kind of not necessarily with the intention of helping them through a process, but with the intention to care. And caring is probably the number one characteristic of a leader in the military. They have to care.
And if you don't care, you know, it's going to show. It's going to show. But one of the biggest things for me as a leader and, growing up in the military, is I knew people were watching me. I knew my soldiers were watching me. So, I always had to do the right thing. Everything that I did was with the perspective and the understanding that somebody was watching me to emulate me.
Somebody was watching me to, maybe, you know, repeat my actions or say Hey, Sergeant Major Garcia did it, maybe I should do it this way as well. So, I say that to say that when I do go out to these events and I do volunteer for VBH or I do volunteer for the veterans community, I do that so that other people can see that they can do it as well.
And so, you know, just continue to be a part of that community. Continue to be part of that group of people that, you know, supported you throughout your career.
Kendrick: Kevin Garcia, thank you so much for your time. It's great to talk to you.
Garcia: I appreciate it. Thank you.