When Burwell Bell ("B.B." to his friends) joined the Army in 1969, it was only to fulfill the four-year service obligation that came with an ROTC scholarship. But he didn't leave after four years, or even twenty. When Bell finally retired from the Army 39 years later, it was as a four-star general - one of the highest-ranking officers in the United States military.
To put his accomplishment into perspective, consider this: there are approximately 518,000 active duty soldiers in the United States Army; at any given time, there can be no more than 12 four-star generals (at the time of his retirement, Gen. Bell was one of only 11). Highlights of Gen. Bell's illustrious career include serving as Commanding General of the Army's forces in Europe and Korea, and as Commanding General of U.N. and NATO forces in Europe. His numerous decorations include the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Legion of Merit.
Gen. Bell was born in Oak Ridge, Tenn. in 1947. He tells his life story as orderly and precisely as he served his career.
"My father was a West Point graduate, but he was injured during his senior year and physically could not go on active duty," said Gen. Bell. "Instead, they shipped him to a small town in Tennessee
to work as an engineer on a secret project."
The 25-year-old medical retiree had been assigned to Oak Ridge's Manhattan Project - the top-secret World War II endeavor to develop the first atomic bomb. The young engineer met his bride (Bell's mother) during a hospital stay in Arkansas; the couple settled in Oak Ridge, where they would soon start a family.
Their roots in East Tennessee run deep. Though he's been stationed all over the world and is currently enjoying retirement in Chattanooga, Tenn. with his wife, Katie, Gen. Bell still keeps in touch with many of his friends in Oak Ridge (also known as the Secret City).
"Oak Ridge is a terrific city full of wonderful people," said Gen. Bell. "It's a community with unique features, high aspirations and good thinkers."
Bell attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on an ROTC scholarship. Upon graduation, he was commissioned into the Army to serve the four-year service agreement that would fulfill his obligation to the military. When his four years ended, Bell decided to stick around a little longer.
"When you enjoy your job, and you love doing it, you want to keep doing it," he said.
Though he continued to excel as a soldier, Bell never aspired to become of the Army's highest-ranking officers.
"It's just not the way you behave in the Army," he said. "You focus on the mission, on the job, and on the service members under your command. There was never a moment, even when my record was being considered for promotion to a one-star general, that I ever imagined I would achieve four-star status."
Bell is clearly more comfortable praising our current service members than discussing his own accomplishments.
"Serving in the military isn't about personal achievement and promotion," Bell said. "It's about selfless service to the nation so that others may reap the benefit of a democracy. That's why the young men and women in our armed forces are so exceptional. They have a deep abiding faith in our nation, and they are committed to selflessly serving the American people. These are highly principled young people with deep values, integrity and honor."
Bell feels strongly that the keys to success in civilian life are no different than in the military.
"The qualities that make a successful military leader are the same qualities that make a great leader in any endeavor," Bell
stated. "You need a really strong value system, and Americans are great people - most already have the right principles and values in their hearts.
"The best advice I can offer is this: always look down, not up. Look at the people around you who are seeking leadership, and help them. Grab hold of the people around you who are struggling, and lift them up. They will pull you up with them."
Bell also stresses the importance of setting goals.
"It's amazing what you can do if you simply decide to do it," he said. "Set goals and keep track of them. If you don't, you'll never know where you're going."
Throughout his career and his life, Bell has found no substitution for the power of teamwork.
"Form teams, form associations, form groups. If you make others successful, they'll make you successful in turn. You can't do it on your own, and you ought not to try."