Interview Series

Insights from a soldier who served 28 years in the U.S. Army

Matt Viera
November 11, 2022

Africa 1995.

Happy Friday and Happy Veterans’ Day!

I hope everyone has a lovely and relaxing weekend.

I started this newsletter with a focus on personal finance and building wealth.

However, a few weeks ago, I had the idea of creating an interview series. I have many friends who have been incredibly successful in their respective careers.

Each of these individuals can provide valuable insight into career and life success.

I emailed each individual a series of questions for them to answer.

My goal is to find some key takeaways from their answers that I can apply to my life and career in some way. My hope is that their responses can do the same for you.

This week, I’d like to introduce my friend Brent Hallman. Brent served in the United States Army for 28 years. Let that sink in for a minute…28 years.

I met Brent during his first year in the Army.

He recently retired from the Army. His rank at the time of his retirement was Sergeant Major, the highest enlisted rank, and he is currently in his 40s.

Brent and I deployed together to Zimbabwe, Africa. We trained together in Fort Gordon, Georgia and Fort Polk, Louisiana. And we spent a lot of time together building a friendship.

Throughout the years, we kept in touch. He visited me when I lived in Miami, and Brent was part of the inaugural group of Veterans for our reunion in Las Vegas a few years ago.

It is safe to say that if I call Brent, 9 times out of 10, he will pick up my call, and our conversation will pick up from wherever it left off from the last time we spoke.

What I learned about Brent over the years is that he is a true leader in every sense of the word. And he will do anything he can to support anyone who has the privilege of working with him.

Here is my interview with Brent:

What was your motivation for joining the Army?

My dad had a flat-out rule when I was 18 and graduated from high school: ”You got 90 days to leave the house.” I graduated from high school and left 83 days later.

What are some highlights/accomplishments of your career?

The only job I wanted to have in the Army was to be a First Sergeant, and I got to do that [I believe Brent was a First Sergeant in the 82nd Airborne Division]. It was great, and I felt like I made a difference. Being selected for Sergeant Major is a great culminating accomplishment of my career. Less than 1 percent of the “1 percent” make it. But the achievements of units I was in and the accomplishments of young men and women I mentored always stick out a little more to me.

How has failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success?

Failure is a part of life. Small failures build resiliency for more considerable setbacks later in life. Failures also prepare you to help deal with others experiencing them. Too often, people get past their failures, compartmentalize them and act as if they never happened. However, dealing with someone going through a failure is a good time to unpack that personal experience and deal with someone empathetically.

What are three lessons you have learned in 28 years in the Army?

In 28 years, three lessons stick out to me:

Being on time, being prepared, being nice, and being helpful usually takes zero talent. Just start there, and a lot of things fall in line.
Prepare, prepare, prepare. I can’t think of a situation in which you can be too prepared. Lots of deficits can be dealt with through preparation.
People are the most essential part of any equation they are involved in. [As a leader] take care of them. It doesn’t always have to feel good to them, and it is ok to challenge them and push them to their limits. It is imperative to make sure people know they are valued.

What obsessions do you explore on the evenings or on weekends?

I coach youth football, but more importantly, I love mentoring young men as they figure out their path into adulthood.

What advice would you give your 20-year-old self?

Personally, I would probably tell myself to take more pictures and make more time for my family to make memories. I am learning from raising my kids that giving a young person sound advice from the perspective of a 46-year-old has about zero chance of being received. So, I would keep it simple.

What would it say if you could have a billboard anywhere in the U.S.?

“Do something nice for someone today.”

My key takeaways:

“Be prepared.”
“Do something nice for someone today.”
"Small failures build resiliency for more considerable setbacks later in life."
“It is imperative to make sure people [you work with and/or lead] know they are valued."