Photo By John Hughel | U.S. Army 1st Lt. Austin Von Letkeman (bottom) interacting over his mobile device with...... read more read more
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CLACKAMAS, Ore. – It’s an age-old question for Soldiers – it varies somewhat in mood and emotion, and it’s often asked of oneself with an ironic degree of self-reflective ambiguity: “Why do I serve,”… and for career service members, “why do I continue to serve”?”
And as timeless as the question is, each generation affirms a distinct way to answer it. For U.S. Army 1st Lt. Austin von Letkemann, it’s through the escapades of ‘Tim, Cory, and Blake,’ along with other characters on his captivating social media channel, “Mandatory Fun Day.”
In describing the success of his social media account, von Letkemann recently joined Oregon National Guard State Chaplain Jacob Scott for a podcast episode of “Hope in the Trenches.”
“People join the military for purpose,” von Letkemann said, describing the common bond that service members across all branches share. To illustrate the point for his own personal reasons, he referred to his ‘WHY CARD,’ after Sgt. 1st Class Zachary Holden, “Hope in the Trenches” producer, asked if he still carries it with him.
“I serve to have a positive impact on the world,” he said, after pulling his card from a document protector full of other assorted intriguing keepsakes. “I wake up every morning and know my life has purpose… I serve for my family to provide for them, and to know the world they live in is a better place…and finally, I serve for personal development and education.”
The purpose of the ‘WHY CARD’ is used in some ways like a ‘Challenge Coin’ with other Soldiers because it allows for a further level of interaction, and can often start a weightier dialogue. But in many ways, “Mandatory Fun Day” has provided thoughtful exchanges on the hundreds of postings done by von Letkemann as it grows in viewership.
The topics range from Army and military humor to shared accomplishments, fitness, personal insights, and the never-ending and always challenging exhortations of wearing the uniform. One particular post that resonated across a wide spectrum of viewers, and generated witty feedback from all directions was on the Defense Travel System.
“My favorite funny post I did was my DTS post…which is by far my most viewed post,” he said, recalling the skit while enjoying a hearty laugh with the podcast host. “It’s got like 15 million views across all my platforms at this point.”
As often as he uses humor to bring issues, both large and small to life, von Letkemann also touches on more series issues about military service, veterans’ health issues, and suicide awareness.
“In terms of a more serious post, my ‘Veteran Tim’ skit where ‘Blake’ lost a friend, and they kind of work through that together,” he said, describing the shock and the grieving process. “I think we’ve all been there, as anyone who’s been in the military even a short time can tell you…we all know somebody who’s taken their own life. It’s so sad and so hard.”
The characters created by von Letkemann hit home on many levels and with many generations due to their authenticity. Through his platform, Soldiers can often identify with difficult issues in life reflected in the themes and characters he uses.
“It illustrates that old adage that, “sorrow shared is sorrow divide, and joy shared is joy multiplied,”” said Chaplain Scott, describing the common bond of experiences between service members.
In discussing von Letkemann’s background and how he first joined the Army, Scott took a page out of the book from Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael A. Grinston.
“Several years ago I heard Sergeant Major Grinston remark that he doesn’t ask Soldiers where they are from anymore because it’s normally a one or two-word answer…instead he asks “How did you grow up?”
“Well I am an Oregon Native, and I grew up in Tigard [a suburb of Portland] and played Lacrosse and baseball growing up,” von Letkemann said, but with his trademark self-depreciating humor confessed that he, “joined the military literally because I didn’t think I was capable of doing anything else. I didn’t have a lot of confidence in myself.”
He’s grown both as a person and Soldier during his time in service, raising to the rank of Staff Sergeant before receiving his commission. During the recording of the podcast, he acknowledged that he had just been promoted to 1st Lieutenant earlier in the day.
In his current military position, von Letkemann is an Intelligence Officer and has a Bachelor's degree in Sports and Health Sciences, and is an Elite Level 1 Certified Fitness trainer, yet is setting his sights on graduate school while aspiring to work in mental health and eventually becoming a counselor.
“I’ve learned during my military career to lead with empathy because it allows us to bridge that gap…especially with our younger generation (of service members),” he said. “We as leaders are in a deficit in trust right off the bat. I think that they don’t trust us because we’re in positions of authority, and because of that, we have to earn their trust.”
Von Letkemann attributes most of this generational shift to younger members' ability to use the Internet and can decipher fact from fiction almost instantly. Where previous generations of Soldiers readily accepted the information and orders given, younger service members are conditioned to be more skeptical.
Which oftentimes, requires more in-depth conversations and explanations behind the decision, he said, because “Millennials are the generation of ‘Why’ and growing up, have had the tools to look up nearly everything being told to them.”
This is part of the success of “Mandatory Fun Day,” because it helps transcribe the ‘Why’ that emerges within the traditional Army and broader military structure.
“People deserve to have a place where they enjoy coming to work,” von Letkemann said, as he reflected on a recent conversation he had with one of his mentors. “As leaders we have to have more than one tool in our leadership tool bag, we’ve gotta go that extra mile.”
In terms of his platform with “Mandatory Fun Day”, he knows it is working based on the quality and quantity of the feedback from his audience, and because Army Leadership is reaching out to him.
“The Army’s Maneuver Center of Excellence has contacted me to work with them, and the office of the Chief of Staff for the Army has reached out too,” he said. “What I am doing is working…the engagement is reaching 20 Million people a month so it’s working…it’s getting out of our comfort zones because the standard Army marketing isn’t working anymore like it used to,” he said.
And if you don’t believe him, then you should probably take it up with ‘Tim, Cory, or Blake’ on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or Youtube. They’ve got an answer for just about anything the Army can throw at them.
To listen to this episode, follow the link here: https://www.dvidshub.net/video/881465/hope-trenches-sn3-ep2-mandatoryfunday
| Date Taken: | 04.28.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 04.28.2023 15:17 |
| Story ID: | 443584 |
| Location: | CLACKAMAS, OREGON, US |
| Web Views: | 8,899 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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