FORT MCPHERSON, Ga. -- During his nine years in the Army, Rodney Smith had an important Army mission: representing his country in the Olympics Greco-Roman wrestling competition.
While he gained fame from his 1992 and 1996 competitions, especially in his 1992 bronze medal performance, Smith told Soldiers at Fort McPherson that their contributions today are just as important and necessary as his.
"You are the backbone of the country," he told U.S. Army Garrison Soldiers April 16 at the Company A, USAG, headquarters building. "You and your missions are important."
Smith, who served from 1989 until 1998 as a power generator mechanic, was in the area training with a long-time Army friend, Howard Mullen, chief of training for the USAG Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security. The two met while attached to an Army Ranger battalion, Smith said.
Training with his friend, in addition to helping him cut weight and improve his physical fitness and nutrition in preparation for his summer teaching session at the Northeast Elite Wrestling Club in Connecticut, helped Smith stress two other points: that once Army, you're always part of the Army family and that it is important to work hard and not cut corners.
"Your duty to your country doesn't stop - you contribute for life," Smith said. "Even when you've done your service, you are always going to be part of."
That link may include the skills picked up through the Army lifestyle, which Smith credits as a major part of his success, noting that the Army gave him the funds, facilities and access to quality people to help him represent America at the 68 kilogram (149.5 pound) weight class in the 1992 and 1996 Olympics.
"There is so much talent in the Army. You need to learn to transfer the discipline you learn here to other areas of your life," he told the Soldiers. "Know what you want to do, save your money and don't be afraid to take chances. Fear subsides with preparedness."
Preparing may require sacrifices, but Smith told the Soldiers that sacrifices made now lead to greater things in the future.
Drawing on his own life, he explained how his tenacious work ethic and willingness to avoid drinking and smoking helped him achieve his many accomplishments, not only in the Olympics, but also training other athletes, including mixed martial arts fighters Bobby Lashley and Ultimate Fighting Championship Hall of Fame member Randy Couture and succeeding in the civilian world, where he rose to position of vice president of Tasker Products, a technology-producing company, and business owner of Streets to Canvas, an art school that helps troubled youth.
Spc. Luke O'neill, a color guard team member for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, USAG, said he had a lot of friends who wrestled, so being able to hear Smith was inspirational and educational. O'neill said talk helped him realize how much was available to him in the Army.
For helping to educate and motivate his Soldiers, 1st Sgt. Anthony Daniel Sr., first sergeant for Company A, USAG, and a fellow former wrestler, thanked Smith for visiting and sharing his story with his Soldiers. Daniel also presented Smith with a trophy as a token of appreciation.
As for his own token of appreciation, Smith signed copies of pictures from his 1992 bronze medal match against Cuban wrestler Cecilio RodrAffA,Aguez for the Soldiers, offered to one day take a physical training test with them and once again stated his respect for them and the sacrifices they make in defending freedom around the world.
"You are the reason we are a country."
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