Soldier, Scout, Leader – Midwest native builds legacy as example of Selfless Service
U.S. Army Lt. Col. Reuben Doornink has made quite a journey from family roots in the Midwest. His 20-year career in the Army Medical Corps began after graduation from Missouri Western State University, where he played football for a season and participated in the cheer squad before graduating and commissioning as a second lieutenant in 2004. He counts duty stations with a variety of staff positions in Kansas, Virginia, Georgia, and Texas, and is currently serving at Fort Detrick, Maryland, with the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity. Between all the stateside moves, marriage, and kids, Doornink deployed four times, leading and working alongside combat medics and medical officers saving lives during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
He is the prototype of a career Army Soldier and leader – his favorite personal adage is "You can call me whatever you want, but don't say I am not a team player" – but there are few things outside his family that have defined his character more than his experience as a Boy Scout.
"My parents started me off in Cub Scouts in the fall of 1987. From that moment on, I remember spending time with my dad and friends doing various camping and scouting events," said Doornink, USAMMDA's current Program Support Division deputy and Support Operations officer. "There were times when I wanted to quit Boy Scouts since it was not the 'cool' thing to do, but my parents encouraged me to stick with it, and I am thankful they did. I continued to be involved with Scouting until I graduated from college in 2004 and didn't pick it up again until my oldest son was old enough to start Cub Scouts."
Born in Iowa and growing up in Missouri, Doornink (Ben to friends and colleagues) had a heart for service inspired by his father, a paramedic and volunteer fireman. The values he learned from his family and from his Scout leaders while attaining the rank of Eagle Scout helped transform Doornink's approach to life and service as an Army officer, though he took a circuitous route to Army service.
"From a young age I always felt like I would join the military and signed a contract with the Marine Corps in the Delayed Entry Program my senior year of high school," said Doornink. "I ended up having knee surgery in July of 1999, moving my October ship date for the Marine Corps. I started college to occupy time until my knee was ready to go and [was] offered an Army ROTC scholarship. I ended up going that route in lieu of continuing with the enlistment in the Marines."
After commissioning, Doornink fell away from active Scouting. With the demands of Army life, including four consecutive combat deployments, volunteer opportunities became rarer. But Doornink cites his father as an example of the Scouting lifestyle, and points to the mutually beneficial relationship between Scouts and their communities as the reason for taking up leadership when his oldest son became a Scout.
"Many [Scout leaders] do not stop volunteering when their child 'ages out,' and continue to serve as role models and volunteers even though their initial reason for volunteering may be out of the house or in college," said Doornink. "My dad never stopped being engaged with scouting in the northwest Missouri area. Once he retired from being a paramedic, he committed to full-time summer camp staff at Camp Geiger near St. Joseph, Missouri. That kind of decades-long commitment to the kids and the program is common and resounds widely," in the Scouting community.
"Organizations like [the Scouts] are symbiotic in that the Scouts benefit from accomplishing their requirements, and the community benefits from the fruits of the Scouts fulfilling their goals," said Doornink.
Today, Doornink balances his Army career with responsibilities as husband, father, and community leader with the Scouts of Troop 628 in Frederick, Maryland. He sees a natural alignment between the values of the Boy Scouts of America and the U.S. Army, with the core ethos of each organization complementing the other, giving Scouts and Soldiers a common thread of service before self.
"Scouting has been a big part of my life through the years and being an Eagle Scout can help form near- immediate bonds. Scouting is similar to the military in that I know if my family needed something, I could put it in a chat group and have 10 people at my door," said Doornink. "One thing that being a Scout taught me is, 'Keep working on the task regardless of how daunting it may seem.' I think the most important skill is to persevere toward a goal and learn a little selfless service."
Doornink is slated to retire from active duty in the next several years, with hopes to relocate with his family to Florida or back to the Midwest after leaving uniform. Until then, he plans to continue in his role as Scout leader with his sons and counts his Scout family as an inspiration to continue serving as both a Soldier and a Scout.
"The [group of] people I have had the pleasure to work next to has been a blessing unto itself," he said. "The cross section of people in Scouting varies and each leader brings a skill set that is unique to their occupation and interests [but] the team that converges to support the entire Scouting effort each and every day is remarkable."