JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas –
“Like father, like son” has rarely been more fitting than in the case of Master Sgt. Benjamin C. Bowman and his son, Pfc. Zachary C. Bowman.
Master Sgt. Bowman serves as the senior operations leader with the Readiness and Training Division (G-37) at U.S. Army Medical Command at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston. His son, Zachary, recently graduated from training at the same installation as a combat medic.
For Zachary, the path to the Army wasn’t always straightforward. As a high school football player, he had scholarship opportunities to play in college. But the prospect of student debt weighed heavily, and Zachary felt he could benefit from the discipline and direction the Army would help instill.
“The Army was always there as an option, and seeing my dad do well, living a good life, I thought maybe I could push forward with that career. So far, it’s going great,” Zachary said.
Once he joined, he quickly found himself excelling.
“I’d say I’m very competitive,” Zachary explained. “In training I did the Iron Medic challenge — it usually takes people about two hours, and I finished it in one. I always set goals to be at least 10 percent better every time I take on something.”
He credits his father with being a role model for the determination that has served him well.
“One big thing I’ve learned from my dad is to never quit,” he said. “It’s always mentally hard, but you have to have a reason. For me, that reason is to be the best I can be.”
Being a combat medic is an achievement in itself, requiring both mental and physical resilience, but Zachary has his eyes set on something even greater: earning a place in the 75th Ranger Regiment. He will soon take on the Ranger Assessment and Selection Program, or RASP, the first step toward joining the elite unit.
His father, a Ranger himself earlier in his career, recognizes both the difficulty and the opportunity ahead.
“He’s always been competitive,” the elder Bowman said. “He’s always wanted to be next to the best, or be the best, and I think the 75th Ranger Regiment will be a great place for him to continue that lifestyle.”
For Bowman, watching his son take this path is a source of pride, but also of perspective.
“He has that drive, that no-quit mentality,” Bowman said. “I’ve told him failure is okay, as long as you get up and keep moving forward. Everything’s a lesson if you learn from it.”
For the Bowmans, the Army has been more than a career — it has become a shared journey.