Totto Lee Studio - Military Service

In the military service, I developed my current mindset, discovered where my passion comes from, and shaped my vision for the future through my experiences.

I will now introduce the experiences I had in the military.

2021.04.26 ~ 2022.10.25 (D+548)

Profile

2021.04.26 ~ 2022.10.25
Republic Of Korea Army 9th Division
major : A Self-Propelled Artilleryman (K-9 Thunder Pilot)Unit : 7095 Alpha Group 1st in Paju western front

2021.09.27 ~ 2021.10.18
ROK Field Artillery School (Dispatch)
Learned basic & practical pilot training for operating a self-propelled artrillery K-9 Thunder

2021.07.01 ~ 2022.09.31
Chaplain's assistant (Protestant)
Multiple Position Concurrently

2021.08.01 ~ 2022.08.31
7095 Alpha's Flag Bearer
Participated in this inauguration ceremony as a representative and participated in various events such as leading the march.

2022.01.01 ~ 2022.05.31
Group 1st Squad Commander
Mission accomplished as squad commander in all training

2022.02.01 ~ 2022.08.31
7095 Alpha Library's Librarian
Multiple Position Concurrently

2023.10.25
Honorable Discharge
The Completion of military service as a sergeant

Military service is mandatory for all healthy Korean males starting from the age of 18. I enlisted in the spring of my 21st year with the mindset that since I had to go anyway, I would embrace the experience and learn as much as possible. I entered the military with three specific goals in mind.

Read more than 20 books
Develop good habits
Value human relationships

I successfully achieved all three goals and especailly while reading books, I developed a new personal motto:

"A Person who puts ideas into Action"

Books Read more than 20 books

Book list

Develop good habits

In the military service, the daily routine is strictly regulated, including waking up at 6:30 AM, going to bed at 10:00 PM, and designated meal times. Among them, the designated free time is from 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM.

'I pondered a lot on how to make the most of the scheduled time and free time.'

I established a habit of exercising. The military service provides suitable facilities and an environment for physical activities. I exercised every morning and afternoon. Dividing my workouts into different muscle groups such as chest, back, and legs, with one day of rest each week for autonomous workouts. I also paid attention to proper nutrition, enjoying good meals (thanks to the grateful cooks) and consuming protein supplements. As a result, I achieved a skeletal muscle mass of around 40% and reduced my weight from 89 to 83, while accomplishing a personal record of completing a 3km run in 12 minutes. It feels like my greatest achievement!

Value human relationships

Fortunately, when I became a corporal, I was appointed as the squad commander of my unit and served in that role for six months. It was quite different from the relationships I had as a superior, peer, or inferior.

As a squad commander, I managed my team and focused on achieving our mission objectives. I had many episodes and experiences, such as understanding how to accomplish goals, and also checking on the well-being of my team members outside of duty hours. It was a valuable and rewarding experience.

Here's an episode I'd like to share:

Situation: Due to heavy snowfall in February, we encountered problems in carrying out our mission. It was a project involving the management and maintenance of our K-9 Thunder. We needed to find new solutions.

In any team, things don't always go smoothly. As a squad commander in my second month, I had a significant difference of opinion with one of my immediate subordinates on a critical matter. It was a matter of importance, and I found it difficult to trust my team member, even though they had their own expertise.

During this time, I learned what it truly means to be a team leader and realized the importance of trusting the abilities of my team members. Ultimately, by blending my own perspective with the opinions of my team, I successfully led the project to a fruitful outcome.

About three months before I was discharged from the military service, I began to think about how to spend my time in the remaining six months until I returned to Univ.

This idea leads to a connection between me and MUJI.