Every year on November 11, the United States recognizes Veterans Day, a day dedicated to honoring the millions of Americans who have served in the nation’s armed forces. Behind the holiday are countless personal stories of sacrifice and commitment; one of those stories belongs to one of our own school counselors, John Bandy, who served five years in the military before beginning his career in education.
Mr. Bandy’s journey began when he decided to go into the National Guard as a junior in high school. He and his friends went into basic training over the summer and got back in time to finish their senior year. Going to college never really occurred to him after he got out of high school. The idea of college at that time wasn’t nearly as important as it is now, and his priority was to make some money, which he did by going straight into the military.
After graduating, he went into MOS 77F training to be a Petroleum Supply Specialist; his role of supplying and refueling tanks and helicopters was essential. Mr. Bandy served two years in the National Guard before his three years in the regular army, and at one point, nearly deployed to Iraq before another unit was selected for it instead.
He was later stationed at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, where he learned lessons that extended far beyond how to operate military equipment.
“It built good camaraderie,” Mr. Bandy said. “I learned how to communicate and build good relationships with friends. But the most important thing it built was resilience. The army taught me how to work through challenges and how to be a team player. The military is based on being a team, you rely on each other to get the mission done. We all learned how to overcome the challenges they threw at us.”
Contrary to what his current job may suggest, education was not the career route Mr. Bandy saw himself taking after spending several years in the army.
“School was the last thing on my mind once I joined the Guard. Once I went in, I told myself I was never going back to school. So I came back and went into law enforcement. I was a police officer for about thirteen to fourteen years. But then COVID came, and there was the George Floyd incident. At the time, I was an SRO officer at one of our schools in Cumberland County.”
Being an SRO officer made Mr. Bandy realize how much he enjoyed spending time with the kids. But when he eventually left to get back on the road, there was a disconnect between him and his job.
“When I had to do my job, they didn’t like me, but when I wasn’t doing the job, they loved me,” he said, referencing the treatment he received as a police officer. “I decided I had to get out of there, so I went back to college and got my master’s degree. Then I got into school counseling, and this is where I’ve been ever since.”
As a former member of the army, Veterans Day has a personal meaning to Mr. Bandy that goes beyond simply honoring those who have served.
“Veterans are just people too,” he said. “It’s a lot that we do, taking an oath to dedicate our lives to supporting the country, and I don’t think everyone truly realizes that. I mean, you’ve given up your own freedom to say, hey, I’m going to protect yours. That day is our day. It’s a time for us veterans to get together and honor one another, knowing that we can all relate to what the other person has gone through.”
For many people, the idea of sacrificing so much for the sake of others might feel insane. But for Mr. Bandy, it all comes down to pride and purpose.
“The training that we go through is intense,” he said. “It’s stuff that causes you to ask, why would you willingly decide to do that to yourself? Why would you decide to take off your mask in the gas chamber? Why would you want to sleep in the woods for two or three days? Why would you say goodbye to your family for months at a time to protect everyone else, leaving them behind to go make sure that other people are free? It’s a lot of big sacrifices, but it’s worth knowing that you gave everything you had to give so that innocents could live their lives freely.”
Veterans like Mr. Bandy remind us why November 11 matters. It’s a moment to honor the people who stepped forward, served with pride, and gave up everything in the name of freedom for others. Looking back, he reflects on the experiences that shaped the person he is today.
“Being in the military is intense, but it teaches lessons that I’ve lived by ever since. I wouldn’t take any of it back.”
