---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Having previously served in the regular…"
description: "\"Having previously served in the regular Army, National Guard, and Reserve, I understand well the sacrifices our service members, civilians, and their f..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c5/mark-esper-12828_army_having-previously-served-in-the-regular_2907220.jpg"
---

#  Having previously served in the regular Army, National…

![“Having previously served in the regular Army, National Guard, and Reserve, I understand well the sacrifices our service members, civilians, and their families make to protect this great country.” quote by Mark Esper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c5/mark-esper-12828_army_having-previously-served-in-the-regular_2907220.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c5/mark-esper-12828_army_having-previously-served-in-the-regular_2907220.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c5/mark-esper-12828_army_having-previously-served-in-the-regular_2907220.jpg)

> “Having previously served in the regular Army, National Guard, and Reserve, I understand well the sacrifices our service members, civilians, and their families make to protect this great country.”

[Mark Esper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-esper/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He reflects on personal military experience to highlight the broad sacrifices of service members and families.

**In simple terms:** He knows the sacrifices of soldiers and families.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and support those sacrifices.

Themes

service sacrifice family patriotism

Mood

respectful reflective

Type

statement persuasive

When to use this quote

- policy discussions
- veteran support
- public speeches

Key Concepts

civil-military relations public service

Questions to Reflect On

- How do personal experiences shape public policy?
- What can civilians do to aid military families?

A Different Perspective

May overlook individual experiences within the military.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) [Civilians Families](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilians-families-4167048/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great/) [Members Civilians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/members-civilians-4167047/) [National guard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/national-guard/) [Protect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protect/) [Sacrifices Service](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrifices-service-663346/) [Service](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/service/) [Service Members](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/service-members-314440/) [Veterans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/veterans/)

## Related quotes

> [Happy persons seldom think of happiness. They are too busy losing their lives in the meaningful sacrifices of service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-augsburger/happy-persons-seldom-think-of-happiness-they-are-too-busy-losing/)

[David W Augsburger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-augsburger/)

> [We must remember both the sacrifices and service of the Greatest Generation who secured freedom and prosperity for our world, as well as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikie-sherrill/we-must-remember-both-the-sacrifices-and-service-of-the-greatest/)

[Mikie Sherrill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikie-sherrill/)

> [“The service members who defend our way of life ask very little in return, but they deserve teachers who will be as relentless in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-elliot/the-service-members-who-defend-our-way-of-life-ask-very-little-in/)

[Tucker Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-elliot/)

> [America owes a debt of gratitude to all service members who have fought to preserve the freedoms we all know and cherish today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-parson/america-owes-a-debt-of-gratitude-to-all-service-members-who-have/)

[Mike Parson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-parson/)

> [National Guard soldiers, as you know, give up their jobs, their time with their family, make sacrifices to make sure this country is safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-tiahrt/national-guard-soldiers-as-you-know-give-up-their-jobs-their-time/)

[Todd Tiahrt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-tiahrt/)

> [When you combine the men and women deployed from our military installations with activated reservists and members of the National Guard, Georgia is contributing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-perdue/when-you-combine-the-men-and-women-deployed-from-our-military/)

[Sonny Perdue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-perdue/)

> [I would take any opportunity to tell service members, 'Thank you.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-carpenter/i-would-take-any-opportunity-to-tell-service-members-thank-you/)

[Kyle Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-carpenter/)

> [I believe the connection is growing stronger. Just to think that 40-plus years ago, service members would return from combat to get spit on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-zeldin/i-believe-the-connection-is-growing-stronger-just-to-think-that-40/)

[Lee Zeldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-zeldin/)

> [The American Legion has been a cornerstone of American life from the local to the federal level since the beginning, and serves as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-braun/the-american-legion-has-been-a-cornerstone-of-american-life-from-the/)

[Mike Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-braun/)

> [The service members don't ask much of us. They ask to be well trained. They ask to be well equipped and they ask to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-whitman/the-service-members-don-t-ask-much-of-us-they-ask-to-be-well-trained/)

[Brian Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-whitman/)

> [Female service members are so integrated into the military, so critical and vital to all functions of the military, from combat service support to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammy-duckworth/female-service-members-are-so-integrated-into-the-military-so/)

[Tammy Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammy-duckworth/)

> [You know, for decades, U.S. and R.O.K. service members have fought side-by-side to defend the ideals of freedom. This alliance is founded on that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-austin/you-know-for-decades-u-s-and-r-o-k-service-members-have-fought-side/)

[Lloyd Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-austin/)

> [I did not know that if a member of a family serves, the whole family serves. I did not know that the spouses of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gauthier/i-did-not-know-that-if-a-member-of-a-family-serves-the-whole-family/)

[Mary Gauthier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gauthier/)

> [Protecting the rights of service members was an important part of my work as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-perez/protecting-the-rights-of-service-members-was-an-important-part-of-my/)

[Thomas Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-perez/)

> [Growing up with a parent in the army, I saw firsthand the challenges our service members face when transitioning to new jobs after time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharice-davids/growing-up-with-a-parent-in-the-army-i-saw-firsthand-the-challenges/)

[Sharice Davids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharice-davids/)

## More by Mark Esper

> [We certainly have the best special operations forces in the world and know how to do counterterrorism extremely well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-esper/we-certainly-have-the-best-special-operations-forces-in-the-world-and/)

[Mark Esper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-esper/)

> [I think artificial intelligence will likely change the character of warfare, and I believe whoever masters it first will dominate on the battlefield for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-esper/i-think-artificial-intelligence-will-likely-change-the-character-of/)

[Mark Esper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-esper/)

> [If you talk to any senior Army leaders, you'll find one, if not all, their children are in the Army.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-esper/if-you-talk-to-any-senior-army-leaders-you-ll-find-one-if-not-all/)

[Mark Esper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-esper/)

> [We may be a little bit late - we are late - coming to the recognition that we are in a strategic competition with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-esper/we-may-be-a-little-bit-late-we-are-late-coming-to-the-recognition/)

[Mark Esper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-esper/)

> [AI will allow the soldier to act and think much more quickly. Whoever gets to AI first, I believe, will have dominance for many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-esper/ai-will-allow-the-soldier-to-act-and-think-much-more-quickly-whoever/)

[Mark Esper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-esper/)

> [Our warfighting doctrine is that we don't want to be in a fair fight, and we want the fight to always be tilted in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-esper/our-warfighting-doctrine-is-that-we-don-t-want-to-be-in-a-fair-fight/)

[Mark Esper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-esper/)

> [One of the key challenges the military has faced - and the Army, in particular - is defining our requirements and keeping them stable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-esper/one-of-the-key-challenges-the-military-has-faced-and-the-army-in/)

[Mark Esper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-esper/)

> [The bottom line is this: in an era of mounting fiscal challenges and competing demands, we must actively seek ways to free up time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-esper/the-bottom-line-is-this-in-an-era-of-mounting-fiscal-challenges-and/)

[Mark Esper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-esper/)

> [I've got a lot of military kids who are not in on-base child care, and they should be. So it's things like that I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-esper/i-ve-got-a-lot-of-military-kids-who-are-not-in-on-base-child-care-and/)

[Mark Esper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-esper/)

> [The biggest challenge is clearly China, in the years 2035 and beyond. I mean, the size of the country, its economy, and everything -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-esper/the-biggest-challenge-is-clearly-china-in-the-years-2035-and-beyond-i/)

[Mark Esper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-esper/)

> [The international rules-based order in the wake of World War II is the order that has ensured prosperity and security now for 75 years.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-esper/the-international-rules-based-order-in-the-wake-of-world-war-ii-is/)

[Mark Esper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-esper/)

> [Good alliances are made of strong, capable partners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-esper/good-alliances-are-made-of-strong-capable-partners/)

[Mark Esper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-esper/)

> [In many cases, the reason why our child development centers are not at full capacity is that we have an insufficient number of providers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-esper/in-many-cases-the-reason-why-our-child-development-centers-are-not-at/)

[Mark Esper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-esper/)

> [Now, 'high-intensity conflict' is a fancy word for saying tanks on tanks, aircraft shooting each other out of the sky, a great deal of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-esper/now-high-intensity-conflict-is-a-fancy-word-for-saying-tanks-on-tanks/)

[Mark Esper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-esper/)

> [When I went to West Point, I was there with cadets from 50 other states and territories. Cadets from other countries, and you learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-esper/when-i-went-to-west-point-i-was-there-with-cadets-from-50-other/)

[Mark Esper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-esper/)

[Explore all 53 Mark Esper quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-esper/)

## More Army quotes

> [There are no more worlds to conquer!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/there-are-no-more-worlds-to-conquer/)

[Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/)

> [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/)

[Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/)

> [Every army in the history of the world has always had some deserters, usually much greater than we have today, because once again every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-hilferty/every-army-in-the-history-of-the-world-has-always-had-some-deserters/)

[Bryan Hilferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-hilferty/)

> [It is the rule in war, if our forces are ten to the enemy's one, to surround him; if five to one, to attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/it-is-the-rule-in-war-if-our-forces-are-ten-to-the-enemy-s-one-to/)

[Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/)

> [The surprise of an army is now next to an impossibility. ... Prearranged surprises are rare and difficult because in order to plan one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-henri-jomini/the-surprise-of-an-army-is-now-next-to-an-impossibility-prearranged/)

[Antoine-Henri Jomini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-henri-jomini/)

> [I just read an article about how young American males feel uncomfortable appearing naked in front of each other in locker rooms. That was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ivory/i-just-read-an-article-about-how-young-american-males-feel/)

[James Ivory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ivory/)

> [ I can't imagine that I would be asked that by the president-elect \[Donald Trump\], or then-president \[Barack Obama\]. But it's - I'm very clear.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/i-can-t-imagine-that-i-would-be-asked-that-by-the-president-elect/)

[James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/)

> [Holy shadows of the dead, I'm not to blame for your cruel and bitter fate, but the accursed rivalry which brought sister nations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/holy-shadows-of-the-dead-i-m-not-to-blame-for-your-cruel-and-bitter/)

[Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/)

> [“The most important lesson that came out of Vietnam for me was that Marines take care of Marines.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/the-most-important-lesson-that-came-out-of-vietnam-for-me-was-that/)

[Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/)

> [One of our great allies at present is the Church itself. Do not misunderstand me. I do not mean the Church as we see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/one-of-our-great-allies-at-present-is-the-church-itself-do-not/)

[C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/)

> [I have real strong feelings about our troops and support them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-fichtner/i-have-real-strong-feelings-about-our-troops-and-support-them/)

[William Fichtner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-fichtner/)

> [Personally, I don't really have a set style or look. It's pretty much what I feel like wearing that day, from a floral-print dress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shay-mitchell/personally-i-don-t-really-have-a-set-style-or-look-it-s-pretty-much/)

[Shay Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shay-mitchell/)

> [Growing up with a parent in the army, I saw firsthand the challenges our service members face when transitioning to new jobs after time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharice-davids/growing-up-with-a-parent-in-the-army-i-saw-firsthand-the-challenges/)

[Sharice Davids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharice-davids/)

> [Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-prescott/don-t-fire-until-you-see-the-whites-of-their-eyes/)

[William H. Prescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-prescott/)

> [Thanks to all members of the military around the world for giving me the ultimate motivation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalya-neidhart/thanks-to-all-members-of-the-military-around-the-world-for-giving-me/)

[Natalya Neidhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalya-neidhart/)

[Browse all 3,919 Army quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Having previously served in the regular Army, National Guard, and Reserve, I understand well the sacrifices our service members, civilians, and their families make to protect this great country.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Mark Esper"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-esper/having-previously-served-in-the-regular-army-national-guard-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Army"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-esper/having-previously-served-in-the-regular-army-national-guard-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c5/mark-esper-12828_army_having-previously-served-in-the-regular_2907220.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c5/mark-esper-12828_army_having-previously-served-in-the-regular_2907220.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c5/mark-esper-12828_army_having-previously-served-in-the-regular_2907220.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Having previously served in the regular Army, National Guard, and Reserve, I understand well the sacrifices…” — Mark Esper",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Mark Esper",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-esper/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Having previously served in the regular...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-esper/having-previously-served-in-the-regular-army-national-guard-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-esper/having-previously-served-in-the-regular-army-national-guard-and/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
