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MUSC reservist shares insight to dual career by Geoff Freeman  Director of Educational Technology Services  Colonel, United States Army Reserve  Editor's Note: This speech was delivered last May as part of a campuswide ceremony honoring employees listed in active reserve service and men and women with veteran status. Visit http://www.musc.edu/catalyst/archive/2003/co5-30may.htm. When I was invited to speak to you today, I was   asked to try to define what it means to be a reservist. While I thought about my response to that question, I remembered what Sir Winston Churchill said about reservists who served in World War II: “The reservist is twice the citizen.” I don't think he meant that the reservist was twice as devoted to his country or more important than anyone else. What I think he meant was that reservists share a special dedication to duty that goes above and beyond the requirements of normal citizenry. Churchill also said, “You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give.” Reservists give time, energy, and sometimes their lives defending our country. In the spirit of Winston Churchill's comments, we are here to recognize and honor those MUSC employees who are “twice the citizen” and who have given of their time and energy in service to our country. Indeed there has been a change in our life as a reservist. If you listen to and believe the television commercials, we are “weekend warriors” who serve in the Army, Navy, and Air Guard and Reserve one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer. Those of us who actually serve in this capacity always smile when we see and hear those commercials because we know how much more time we actually devote to military service than those commercials would indicate. In the last few weeks, many Americans have watched reservists fight a war and now understand more clearly that we must be ready just like our active duty counterparts when called. But soon, most of these images will be forgotten and replaced by the weekend warrior stereotype. Regardless, we will continue to give our time gladly so that we'll be ready if and when we are called. Some of us have recently traded our civilian attire for military uniforms and are deployed around the world in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and Noble Eagle. Thankfully, many of those soldiers are now on their way home. If you've wondered over the last several weeks why the news seems to be so filled with stories of deploying reserve units, it is because the majority of the total Army force is in the reserves, and more than a third of the Air Force Reserve capability likewise. In our world of shrinking budgets and “doing more with less,” we as a country now depend more heavily on our reserve forces than ever before in our history. We're gathered here today to honor those MUSC employees who have answered the call of military service to our country. Some are deployed and cannot be with us, but some of their family members have joined us to celebrate their service. Others, like me, await the call and are ready to go if needed.  MUSC is indeed contributing to our nation's military effort for both war and peace operations.  So why do we choose to spend so much of our time and energy being a reservist? What we do is important, and whether or not anyone ever says thank you, we know that in some small way our actions are critical to defending our freedom and that the nation is grateful for our service. Today's ceremony, however, is intended to formally say thank you to all those MUSC employees who have served our country through military service.   Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.