South Dakota Rancher Shares Impact of National Guard Involvement

By Lura Roti

Oren Lesmeister is a Parade Rancher, a husband to Tracy and a dad to Colten, Colby and Chelsy. He's a small business owner, former South Dakota State Representative and a member of the South Dakota Beef Industry Board and South Dakota Farmers Union Board of Directors.

In his early 20s Lesmeister enlisted in the South Dakota Army National Guard. He said the experience and training he received as a young adult serving as a combat engineer with the 211^th Engineer Company out of Lemmon and Mobridge prepared him for leadership and service roles later in life.

"Serving in the Army National Guard taught me not only how to be a leader, but how to be involved," Lesmeister explained. "You learn leadership isn't just giving orders, it is about working as a team. It is realizing other's strengths and acknowledging that even the weakest link can be the strongest link in certain situations."

Lesmeister shares more about what he learned through is years of service in the Q and A below.

Question: Why did you enlist?

Lesmeister answers: Growing up in the era when I did, with Veterans of Vietnam and World War II, we grew up playing soldier. Joining the military was on my mind. Then, I came out of college newly married and trying to find my way in the world and pay off college and the GI Bill looked like a good option. It was the 80s and things were tough in farming and ranching.

Question: Did you deploy?

Lesmeister answers: We were at Fort Carson in Colorado, ready to deploy during Desert Storm. All our equipment was shipped to the Middle East, and then the war ended.

Question: What is the biggest life lesson you learned through service?

Lesmeister answers: The Army has a slogan: "Adapt and overcome." I learned that even when I think I can't do something, I probably can. We were on a training and a person got hurt and needed to be life flighted out. It was late in the evening and we were in an area that was difficult to access. I was responsible for helping land a chopper. It was something I'd never done, but I had trained for. That's when the training kicked in.

It was very dark and a very confined area. We built a circle of lights for a landing pad. They were able to land and we got the individual loaded up and everything worked out.

Question: After your experience serving in the Army National Guard, would you encourage other young people to enlist?

Lesmeister answers: Yes, absolutely. I met people I would have never met otherwise. I had experiences I would never have had. I was able to pay off my college debt. And the experiences I had serving as a leader have helped make me who I am. Knowing what I know now, I would do it all over again.