Army Brat: Staying Grounded While Moving | OJ Hall | TEDxWestPoint

good afternoon my name is OJ Hall I’m

good afternoon my name is OJ Hall I’m truly honored to have the privilege to

truly honored to have the privilege to

truly honored to have the privilege to talk to you here today when I was

talk to you here today when I was

talk to you here today when I was approached about giving this speech I

approached about giving this speech I

approached about giving this speech I thought to myself what things do I have

thought to myself what things do I have

thought to myself what things do I have that people might want to hear and the

that people might want to hear and the

that people might want to hear and the first thing that popped in my head was I

first thing that popped in my head was I

first thing that popped in my head was I got a pretty good bear hunting story

got a pretty good bear hunting story

got a pretty good bear hunting story that’s but uh nobody really wants to

that’s but uh nobody really wants to

that’s but uh nobody really wants to hear about that right now so then I

hear about that right now so then I

hear about that right now so then I thought what things have I done in my

thought what things have I done in my

thought what things have I done in my life what experiences have I had that

life what experiences have I had that

life what experiences have I had that maybe many of you haven’t and so what

maybe many of you haven’t and so what

maybe many of you haven’t and so what came to mind was my childhood my

came to mind was my childhood my

came to mind was my childhood my childhood was very different from the

childhood was very different from the

childhood was very different from the average American I was an army brat the

average American I was an army brat the

average American I was an army brat the best quote that I can think of that kind

best quote that I can think of that kind

best quote that I can think of that kind of sums up how I feel about my childhood

of sums up how I feel about my childhood

of sums up how I feel about my childhood was written on a small plaque that

was written on a small plaque that

was written on a small plaque that wherever we moved we’d hang above the

wherever we moved we’d hang above the

wherever we moved we’d hang above the kitchen door the door to the living room

kitchen door the door to the living room

kitchen door the door to the living room and on that plaque it said home was

and on that plaque it said home was

and on that plaque it said home was where the armored sends you now it’s

where the armored sends you now it’s

where the armored sends you now it’s kind of a cheesy quote I know but it’s

kind of a cheesy quote I know but it’s

kind of a cheesy quote I know but it’s honestly how I felt my father was raised

honestly how I felt my father was raised

honestly how I felt my father was raised in North Carolina Germany for a while

in North Carolina Germany for a while

in North Carolina Germany for a while and Maryland my mother was raised in

and Maryland my mother was raised in

and Maryland my mother was raised in upstate New York and I grew up in ten

upstate New York and I grew up in ten

upstate New York and I grew up in ten different places California Saudi Arabia

different places California Saudi Arabia

different places California Saudi Arabia Marilyn Colorado Rhode Island Virginia

Marilyn Colorado Rhode Island Virginia

Marilyn Colorado Rhode Island Virginia Kansas Boston and Alaska this gave me a

Kansas Boston and Alaska this gave me a

Kansas Boston and Alaska this gave me a very unique sense of the world but more

very unique sense of the world but more

very unique sense of the world but more than that it allowed me to realize the

than that it allowed me to realize the

than that it allowed me to realize the importance of the relationships the

importance of the relationships the

importance of the relationships the people around you your friends and your

people around you your friends and your

people around you your friends and your family I always identified living in the

family I always identified living in the

family I always identified living in the army posts was the only thing I really

army posts was the only thing I really

army posts was the only thing I really lived on and even though most of my

lived on and even though most of my

lived on and even though most of my friends grew up and came from different

friends grew up and came from different

friends grew up and came from different places we all shared that army the

places we all shared that army the

places we all shared that army the things that it had in common so one got

things that it had in common so one got

things that it had in common so one got very accustomed to having friends from

very accustomed to having friends from

very accustomed to having friends from all over the place and then leaving

all over the place and then leaving

all over the place and then leaving and happy to make new friends the next

and happy to make new friends the next

and happy to make new friends the next year I remember every summer growing up

year I remember every summer growing up

year I remember every summer growing up I’d walk down the street and to be

I’d walk down the street and to be

I’d walk down the street and to be moving trucks in front of half the

moving trucks in front of half the

moving trucks in front of half the houses and I’d walked down and see what

houses and I’d walked down and see what

houses and I’d walked down and see what friends I was gonna I had that we’re

friends I was gonna I had that we’re

friends I was gonna I had that we’re gonna leave and what new kids were

gonna leave and what new kids were

gonna leave and what new kids were coming to town the friends that I had

coming to town the friends that I had

coming to town the friends that I had grown up came and go but I always knew

grown up came and go but I always knew

grown up came and go but I always knew that wherever I went I can make new

that wherever I went I can make new

that wherever I went I can make new friends and that kind of leads me to one

friends and that kind of leads me to one

friends and that kind of leads me to one big point of growing up as an army brat

big point of growing up as an army brat

big point of growing up as an army brat and that is the families are some of the

and that is the families are some of the

and that is the families are some of the most accepting families they’ll ever

most accepting families they’ll ever

most accepting families they’ll ever meet the sense of community to have is

meet the sense of community to have is

meet the sense of community to have is extremely strong I think back to the

extremely strong I think back to the

extremely strong I think back to the surge in Iraq around 2007 I was living

surge in Iraq around 2007 I was living

surge in Iraq around 2007 I was living on for Riley Kansas and almost every

on for Riley Kansas and almost every

on for Riley Kansas and almost every single dad on that street was deployed

single dad on that street was deployed

single dad on that street was deployed the families had to bond together they

the families had to bond together they

the families had to bond together they needed to some nights I’d go over to my

needed to some nights I’d go over to my

needed to some nights I’d go over to my friends house and have dinner at their

friends house and have dinner at their

friends house and have dinner at their house and sleep over at their house

house and sleep over at their house

house and sleep over at their house because my mom was busy taking care of a

because my mom was busy taking care of a

because my mom was busy taking care of a family in the battalion and then other

family in the battalion and then other

family in the battalion and then other nights my friends would come over to my

nights my friends would come over to my

nights my friends would come over to my house and they’d hang out for a couple

house and they’d hang out for a couple

house and they’d hang out for a couple hours because their parents were busy

hours because their parents were busy

hours because their parents were busy one person that sticks out in my mind is

one person that sticks out in my mind is

one person that sticks out in my mind is Lieutenant Colonel sin stack he lived

Lieutenant Colonel sin stack he lived

Lieutenant Colonel sin stack he lived about five doors down for me and he was

about five doors down for me and he was

about five doors down for me and he was one of the few fathers left on the

one of the few fathers left on the

one of the few fathers left on the street he took my best friend Ronnie and

street he took my best friend Ronnie and

street he took my best friend Ronnie and I one day and taught us how to fish we

I one day and taught us how to fish we

I one day and taught us how to fish we were both about ten years old he taught

were both about ten years old he taught

were both about ten years old he taught me how to tie my first fishing not

me how to tie my first fishing not

me how to tie my first fishing not taught me how to catch trout how to

taught me how to catch trout how to

taught me how to catch trout how to clean them and how to cook them and as a

clean them and how to cook them and as a

clean them and how to cook them and as a kid I didn’t really think anything of

kid I didn’t really think anything of

kid I didn’t really think anything of this at the time but looking back he was

this at the time but looking back he was

this at the time but looking back he was like family to me as an army brat with

like family to me as an army brat with

like family to me as an army brat with my father deployed my mother busy and

my father deployed my mother busy and

my father deployed my mother busy and the Family Readiness Group is what it’s

the Family Readiness Group is what it’s

the Family Readiness Group is what it’s called taking care of the families of

called taking care of the families of

called taking care of the families of the battalion and then also taking care

the battalion and then also taking care

the battalion and then also taking care of my brother and I there’s not a lot of

of my brother and I there’s not a lot of

of my brother and I there’s not a lot of time to leave post and go do things so

time to leave post and go do things so

time to leave post and go do things so it’s easy to stay on post for weeks at a

it’s easy to stay on post for weeks at a

it’s easy to stay on post for weeks at a time and when you’re a kid it doesn’t

time and when you’re a kid it doesn’t

time and when you’re a kid it doesn’t really seem like that big of a deal

really seem like that big of a deal

really seem like that big of a deal but you don’t really realize how much

but you don’t really realize how much

but you don’t really realize how much you miss my parents changed that for me

you miss my parents changed that for me

you miss my parents changed that for me one thing they always did growing up was

one thing they always did growing up was

one thing they always did growing up was have mandatory fun as it’s like to call

have mandatory fun as it’s like to call

have mandatory fun as it’s like to call and it was a huge part of my life but it

and it was a huge part of my life but it

and it was a huge part of my life but it ended up being one of the best things of

ended up being one of the best things of

ended up being one of the best things of my childhood they took us places whether

my childhood they took us places whether

my childhood they took us places whether it was some random town on a Sunday

it was some random town on a Sunday

it was some random town on a Sunday afternoon or driving from Massachusetts

afternoon or driving from Massachusetts

afternoon or driving from Massachusetts all the way up to Alaska so one of my

all the way up to Alaska so one of my

all the way up to Alaska so one of my favorite stories about this mandatory

favorite stories about this mandatory

favorite stories about this mandatory fund was my trip from Kansas to the

fund was my trip from Kansas to the

fund was my trip from Kansas to the Grand Canyon my parents showed up to

Grand Canyon my parents showed up to

Grand Canyon my parents showed up to school one day and picked my brother and

school one day and picked my brother and

school one day and picked my brother and I up and said get in the car and we

I up and said get in the car and we

I up and said get in the car and we drove 15 hours down to the Grand Canyon

drove 15 hours down to the Grand Canyon

drove 15 hours down to the Grand Canyon with two stops my dad didn’t like

with two stops my dad didn’t like

with two stops my dad didn’t like stopping we got out of the car pitched a

stopping we got out of the car pitched a

stopping we got out of the car pitched a tent slept the night my dad woke us up

tent slept the night my dad woke us up

tent slept the night my dad woke us up real early probably around five or six

real early probably around five or six

real early probably around five or six and we hiked down at the bottom of the

and we hiked down at the bottom of the

and we hiked down at the bottom of the Grand Canyon hike back up got in the

Grand Canyon hike back up got in the

Grand Canyon hike back up got in the truck and left it’s things like that

truck and left it’s things like that

truck and left it’s things like that that I’ll never forget the Grand Canyon

that I’ll never forget the Grand Canyon

that I’ll never forget the Grand Canyon was one of the most beautiful things

was one of the most beautiful things

was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen in my life but more than

I’ve ever seen in my life but more than

I’ve ever seen in my life but more than that it was the time spent with my

that it was the time spent with my

that it was the time spent with my family time spent with my father who had

family time spent with my father who had

family time spent with my father who had been deployed for 15 months and who I

been deployed for 15 months and who I

been deployed for 15 months and who I got to talk to twice during that time

got to talk to twice during that time

got to talk to twice during that time time to see my mom who had been busy

time to see my mom who had been busy

time to see my mom who had been busy with the FRG she had to be so I think

with the FRG she had to be so I think

with the FRG she had to be so I think back to some of the things that being an

back to some of the things that being an

back to some of the things that being an army brats allowed me to do and

army brats allowed me to do and

army brats allowed me to do and experience before I was 15 years old I’d

experience before I was 15 years old I’d

experience before I was 15 years old I’d already been to eat lobster and Maine

already been to eat lobster and Maine

already been to eat lobster and Maine hike the Grand Canyon gone fly-fishing

hike the Grand Canyon gone fly-fishing

hike the Grand Canyon gone fly-fishing in Colorado toward New York City picked

in Colorado toward New York City picked

in Colorado toward New York City picked lemons from a lemon tree in Saudi Arabia

lemons from a lemon tree in Saudi Arabia

lemons from a lemon tree in Saudi Arabia tackled pigs and a rodeo in Kansas gone

tackled pigs and a rodeo in Kansas gone

tackled pigs and a rodeo in Kansas gone skiing in the Rockies eaten oysters in

skiing in the Rockies eaten oysters in

skiing in the Rockies eaten oysters in Boston and so many more things but more

Boston and so many more things but more

Boston and so many more things but more than experiencing these things was the

than experiencing these things was the

than experiencing these things was the people I was with my friends and my

people I was with my friends and my

people I was with my friends and my family because no matter where I went no

family because no matter where I went no

family because no matter where I went no matter how bad things got

matter how bad things got

matter how bad things got no matter how long my dad was gone and

no matter how long my dad was gone and

no matter how long my dad was gone and never how no matter how many different

never how no matter how many different

never how no matter how many different schools I had to go to in the back of my

schools I had to go to in the back of my

schools I had to go to in the back of my head I always gonna always knew it was

head I always gonna always knew it was

head I always gonna always knew it was gonna be okay because if being an army

gonna be okay because if being an army

gonna be okay because if being an army brat taught me anything is that the

brat taught me anything is that the

brat taught me anything is that the relationships the friends you make the

relationships the friends you make the

relationships the friends you make the people around you your family they can

people around you your family they can

people around you your family they can get you through anything so in a

get you through anything so in a

get you through anything so in a profession like ours future leaders in

profession like ours future leaders in

profession like ours future leaders in the army we have to make time to build

the army we have to make time to build

the army we have to make time to build those relationships as my parents did

those relationships as my parents did

those relationships as my parents did for my brother and I so if I can leave

for my brother and I so if I can leave

for my brother and I so if I can leave you with a few things let’s call your

you with a few things let’s call your

you with a few things let’s call your grandparents visit your family for

grandparents visit your family for

grandparents visit your family for Thanksgiving and remember remember to

Thanksgiving and remember remember to

Thanksgiving and remember remember to value the people around you no matter

value the people around you no matter

value the people around you no matter what thank you

what thank you

what thank you [Applause]