Reagan Metcalf had never given much thought about joining the military. 

That all changed when one day he found himself in the waiting room of an Ames recruiter’s office for the armed forces, twiddling his thumbs as he waited for his friend to enlist.

He picked up a magazine from the stack of reading material on the table, hoping to keep himself entertained until he and his friend could leave.

“I started looking through all these Navy Seal magazines and I remember thinking, ‘Wow, this is frickin’ cool!’” Metcalf said. “The recruiter eventually came out of his office and said: ‘Hey, why don’t you join?’ He told me to take the test and see how I do. I took the test, ended up scoring really high, and next thing you know, I’m signed up to join the Navy.”

The year was 1994. Metcalf was just any other 20-year-old Iowa State student trying to survive his classes like everyone else.

Within one year, however, he would drop his textbooks and pick up his uniform, climb aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt and set sail for war-torn Iraq.

But before the battleship had even left port, Metcalf witnessed his first gruesome death — an unfortunate mishap involving a young sailor-in-training and the closing steel doors of a weapons elevator.

“It was the most blood-curdling scream I’ve ever heard. And it was only an accident,” Metcalf said. “I just stood there, staring, listening to him scream. I was brand new, only been on the ship for a month. We haven’t even left port, and here I am watching a kid die in front of me.”

Upon returning from his tour in Iraq, Metcalf proposed to his wife, Anna, and in the summer of 1996, they married.

That same year, Metcalf had to leave his wife for his second deployment, this time being sent to Bosnia. 

Thousands of miles apart, the two remained close by writing letters to each other every single day.

After another year at sea, Metcalf came home and took a few years off active duty. He put away his uniform and became a family man.

His first son, Nathaniel, was born just one month after he returned from Bosnia in 1997. 

His first daughter, Kathryn, was born in 2000 and was followed three years later by his second son, Jacob.

Metcalf also returned to his studies at Iowa State, picking up right where he left off five years earlier.

He had been living the quiet civilian life for six years, looking after his new family and keeping busy with his studies. 

But deep down he couldn’t help but miss his days spent in the military. 

He wanted to serve his country again.

“I was missing the military; missing the structure and the organization,” Metcalf said. “I was frustrated with civilian work because they make things harder than they are supposed to be.”

In 2003, Metcalf left for his third deployment, this time being sent to Kosovo — which was then the site of a bloody religious dispute between Muslim Albanians and Christian Serbs.

Metcalf, alongside roughly 800 other soldiers, was sent to Kosovo to control violent riots that were sparked by the senseless killing of a young Albanian boy. Thousands of angry rioters took to the streets, and Metcalf was right in the middle of it all.

“There’s a lot more of them than there are of us,” Metcalf said. “We’re standing in a line, with our non-lethal rounds and our tear gas, facing down crowds of a few thousand people throwing rocks and sticks at us. It’s scary.”

One year later, Metcalf was back home with his family again. He had his third son, Liam, in 2005. His second daughter, Lauryn, born in 2008, is the newest member of his family.

With five children to look after, a loving wife, a job and a college degree finally within reach, Metcalf had a lot of reasons to stay home.

“The older you get, the more kids you have, the more responsibilities you have, you realize that you can’t just throw yourself into a war,” Metcalf said.

In 2010, he was called for his fourth and final deployment. He was going to Afghanistan — his most dangerous assignment yet.

His family went with him as a small picture on the inside of his badge, worn over his heart. 

They were always on his mind.

“It was a big deal for me to make sure that I got home,” Metcalf said.

In Afghanistan, Metcalf was a Platoon Sergeant, which meant he was in charge of a unit of more than 20 men.

The authority he had was new and exciting but also added a lot of stress. 

He felt he was responsible for their safety, just like he had felt with his family back home in Iowa.

“Anytime there was incoming fire, you had to go from wherever you were at and go to a certain area, take a head count of all your guys and make sure they were all right,” Metcalf said.

After spending a year in Afghanistan, Metcalf was home for good. His days serving in active duty military were over. He became a full-time family man.

Today, Metcalf works for the National Guard as a Logistics Specialist at Camp Dodge in Johnston, Iowa, and continues to work towards his bachelor’s degree in history.

He has the heart of a patriot.

“One of my favorite things to do is just stand up at Jack Trice, take my hat off and sing the national anthem along with every body else,” he said

Looking back on his days in the military, Metcalf is filled with pride.

“I’ve helped other countries to be more democratic so they can have more freedoms like we do,” he said. “That’s very important to me, helping to protect my own kids’ future — that’s what its all about. 

“That’s why I serve my country.”