Duty OIL PAINTING by Charles Burt

Original Oil Painting by Charles Burt on canvas, Framed. 

While painting Duty I had received a lot of criticism about my
service in the military as well as the role the United States plays in
global affairs. I knew I couldn't change anyone's mind but I wanted to
give a different perspective. No matter what your personal opinion is
about Soldiers and the military I wanted to have the viewer to feel
the weight of the uniform and the responsibility it carries. I chose
to name it Duty because my whole career I wanted to go to Master
Gunner School which is a prestigious position to hold upon graduation,
but the both times I put in my packet it got rejected because I was
first selected to be a Recruiter for three years where I earned the
gold badge on my left pocket and then a Drill Sergeant for two years
where i received the badge under my name tape. Both were tough jobs I
did not want to do, but it was my duty to do so. It is extremely rare
for a Soldier to have one of the badges and is about a 0.1% chance for
a Soldier to be selected for both.

This is the Army's definition of Duty.

Duty
Fulfill your obligations. Doing your duty means more than carrying out
your assigned tasks. Duty means being able to accomplish tasks as part
of a team. The work of the U.S. Army is a complex combination of
missions, tasks and responsibilities — all in constant motion. Our
work entails building one assignment onto another. You fulfill your
obligations as a part of your unit every time you resist the
temptation to take “shortcuts” that might undermine the integrity of
the final product.