How would you want to leave your mark on your time in service? Would it be a universal mark? Or a personal mark?

I would invent a hat that the entire US Army would love... probably edible.

As an enlisted man, I knew that I would never be able to rewrite policy. I did know that I could do my best for my guys though. I gauged the mark that I left on the military by the ways that I taught my Soldiers to be better than they were when I first met them. If they can say that I taught them something that they didn't know before, that I helped them through something that was difficult, if I gave them an opportunity that no one else would have given them, it is stuff like this that I measured just how much I impacted the military. My guys, and their subsequent success was, and still is, how I measure how well I did. The highest rank that I ever held was Sergeant E-5; many of my Soldiers have been Staff Sergeants for quite some time now. I like that. I can't wait to see them put on E7.

You'll know if you made a difference while in military, if your old buddies try to make contact with you years later, after you've left.

I went IRR 18 yrs ago. I am still known by my nickname by those that came in 8 yrs after I left.

Some people spend their entire lives wondering if the made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem. ☺

I guess at the end of the day it would be nice to know that you made a difference. Whether to an individual or a community. I can say that as EOD, we see a tangible goal or outcome. I know not everyone gets to see that all of the time. It's tough to say how many troops DIDN'T die because of your actions, but I'm satisfied that we make a difference when a guy gets to go home at the end of a convoy or mission.
As far as leaving a mark, if folks don't know they could've been injured or killed then I've done my job. It's what DIDN'T happen that I consider a lasting mark.

Interesting question, SSG(P) (Join to see). Looking forward to reading other's comments.

President Reagan said it best.

My mark will be left on the airman that I supervise. I hope that what I learned from those before me will be passed down to those who follow me. They in turn will pass it down to others. In that way, the traditions, good leadership skills, and honor will continue through time.

No Russians or Chinese attacked when I was active.

SSG(P) (Join to see) In my four years in the Marine Corps and my civilian career, I did the best job that I could and made a positive impact in the work place and mentored others, so that they could enjoy success. I am proud of my military service and my civilian career, and that is all that matters to me.