Staff Sgt. Nicholas Lanier, chaplain's assistant, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, reenlisted in July 2005 to continue serving with his fellow Soldiers in Iraq.(U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jorge Gomez, 2nd BCT, 4th Inf. Div.)
January 27, 2006
FOB KALSU, Iraq -- He didn’t get a reenlistment bonus when he raised his right hand in July. In fact, he knew he was getting assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, and would soon deploy to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
He chose to continue his career as a chaplain’s assistant in the Army because he enjoys what he does.
"I simply like to serve Soldiers," said Staff Sgt. Nicholas Lanier, a 31-year-old Buffalo, N.Y., native. "I like to get them in the right frame of mind so they can go out to do their mission."
He could have waited until he was in theater to take advantage of the current $22,500 bonus, but Lanier said he is not bitter.
"I joined the Army when I was 25, so I know what the outside world is about. The Army gives me a sense that I’m part of something greater than myself. My wife and kids are all proud of me for being a Soldier," he said.
When his Korean War-veteran grandfather learned that Lanier was deploying to Iraq, "he reacted with a somber pride. He knew what a deployment does to the family, but he felt proud of what I was doing."
For Lanier, reenlisting was the natural thing to do.
"People shouldn’t join the Army for the sake of the money. There has to be a drive to serve," he said.
As a civilian, Lanier held managerial jobs at a grocery store and a furniture company. The jobs were long hours and well paid, "but I wasn’t accomplishing anything meaningful," he said.
As the 2nd BCT chaplain’s assistant, Lanier said he gets the satisfaction of influencing Soldiers. He is responsible for the personal security of the chaplain and for implementing religious programs, but Soldiers will often come to him for counseling.
"I do what I can for the Soldiers when they come to me, and then I encourage them to seek further guidance from the chaplain," he said.
Lanier is also responsible for carrying out memorial ceremonies. He said he doesn’t enjoy them because they’re emotionally taxing, but it’s the part of his job that he takes very seriously.
"Memorial ceremonies give me the opportunity to honor a Soldier. Those who die in uniform need to be remembered for the warriors they are," Lanier said.
Lanier said he is looking forward to serving his fellow Soldiers throughout this mission.
"I want to see myself doing my job in a deployed environment - to serve my country outside of the country," he said.
When he returns home from OIF, he said he plans to expand his service by becoming a drill sergeant or an advanced individual training instructor.
"I want to pass down lessons learned to young Soldiers," he said.
When he does retire or leave the Army, Lanier will be satisfied with the decisions he’s made.
"I want to know that I did something important - that I made a difference," he said.
By Sgt. Jorge Gomez - 2nd BCT PAO, 4ID