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JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. - Travel away from home gives some people the opportunity to find out who they want to be for the rest of their lives. New experiences in foreign lands forge new ideas and perspectives as each day brings another adventure. One of these individuals was Keith Lewis of Gilbert, Arizona.
He comes to the Best Warrior Competition to challenge himself and test his limits as a Soldier. The events of the competition are a way to train and find out what improvements a Soldier needs to their skills. With the hopes of being able to take his experiences during the competition and help his fellow Soldiers advance, he believes that any soldier can be in the Best Warrior Competition if they have that desire.
“Every Soldier should be able to do these events,” he said.
This philosophy of improving himself and helping others comes from his travel experiences before joining the Army.
When he was 19 years old, he volunteered his services to his church and went on a mission trip to China. It wasn't a mission to convert others to Christianity, it was a humanitarian mission where he spent two years with the people of Hong Kong helping whenever he saw people in need.
“Being over there made me who I am today,” he said.
While there, his days consisted of going to homes and asking if people needed food or help with any chores around their homes. It gave him the confidence to speak to people he didn't know, while also providing fulfillment with good deeds performed for others.
While in Hong Kong, he quickly learned to speak Chinese and even had a Chinese professor follow him around to study how he learned the language so quickly and easily.
“It took about two weeks being there before I knew enough Chinese to have simple conversations with the people in Hong Kong,” he said
During his time in China, he was unable to leave Hong Kong and go into mainland China. The government did not allow Christian missionaries to spread the gospel in country. Nor did they allow non-members of the church to attend Christian services. Violation of this law led to arrest.
Lewis explained that if a resident of mainland China wanted to convert to Christianity, they generally sold all of their belongings to travel to Hong Kong to be baptized and become church members. When citizens showed up in Hong Kong for baptism, Lewis was one of the missionaries that would perform the ceremony.
During those two years, he was only allowed to call home twice a year; on Mother's Day and Christmas.
“I gave up two years of friends and family when most people my age were going to college,” he said “but it was a great experience that I wouldn't trade for anything.”
The biggest culture shock for Lewis was when he returned home to Arizona. People in Hong Kong live so close together and in such close quarters, that the large spaces here in the states was a little too much to handle for a while.
Everything he went through in China also prepared him for life in the Army. The periods of time away from home, being in unfamiliar territory, and living closely with others are all traits that began in China and were developed during his time in the Army.
His love of China continued as he enrolled in college to study Chinese language and culture. After three years of school, he transferred to the American Military College to study Counter Intelligence.
Participating in the Best Warrior Competition is an extension of his military career much like going to school and studying Chinese once he returned to the states. Lewis plans to combine both of these passions into one career. His hope is that his love of linguistics and interest in Chinese culture can further his Army career and his goal to one day be a command sergeant major.
“I love responsibility and being there for my fellow Soldiers,” he said “and being a sergeant major can allow me to help more Soldiers achieve their goals.”
| Date Taken: | 06.24.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 06.26.2014 23:56 |
| Story ID: | 134606 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, NJ, US |
| Web Views: | 83 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Specialist Keith Lewis, Hong Kong Action Hero and Army Reserve Best Warrior Competitor, by SGT William Battle, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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