Infantryman finds his voice through Army service

NOVO SELO TRAINING AREA, Bulgaria — For U.S. Army Spc. Steven Evando De Souza, the Army became more than a place to serve. It became a place to grow, find structure and build the confidence to speak up for himself and the Soldiers around him.

De Souza, an infantryman assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Division, took part in squad live-fire training at Novo Selo Training Area, Bulgaria, May 28, 2026. The training focused on small-unit movement, communication and leadership under realistic field conditions.

“We’re out here running a squad live fire, basically working on maneuvering and firing. . .It’s mainly touching on the team leaders and squad leaders giving commands, placing their people and making sure everyone has what they need to do their job, so if we actually do it in a real-world situation, they can do it proficiently.”

A New Jersey native, De Souza spent his early years in Newark before moving to Mount Holly in Burlington County. Prior to joining the Army, he attended Youth Challenge Academy in New Jersey, a military-style program that helped him complete school early and introduced him to a structured environment. That experience stayed with him and eventually helped shape his decision to join the military.

“I didn’t really have a perfected image of myself,” De Souza said. “I didn’t really know who I was, and I didn’t know who I wanted to be.”

De Souza explains he missed the structure he experienced in that military-style setting. “I wanted financial stability, I wanted to have people around me who are going to improve me and keep me accountable, and so I joined the military to chase those things.”

Now three years into his Army career, De Souza serves as an 11B infantryman. Although infantry was not originally the only job he considered, he said he was drawn to the skills, training and teamwork that come with the profession. He had once considered law enforcement and military police, but the infantry offered a different kind of challenge and connection.

“I did my research, and I think the way infantry works, where you go out with your boys, you learn cool stuff, you shoot cool stuff, I've shot so many cool weapons here. It’s crazy.”

For De Souza, infantry training is not just about weapons or tactics. During squad live-fire training, Soldiers must move as a team, communicate clearly and trust their leaders. The training gives team leaders and squad leaders a chance to practice positioning their Soldiers, giving commands and making decisions while the rest of the squad moves through the lane.

That environment, De Souza said, reflects one of the reasons he values the Army. The profession puts Soldiers in situations where they have to rely on each other, learn from each other and grow together.

One of the biggest changes he has seen in himself since joining the Army is confidence. Through his time in uniform, he learned how to speak up respectfully and stand by what he believed was right.

“I found more of my voice. . . I was really quiet when I was younger, and I would kind of say I was easy to walk over, but I think I was able to speak up for myself a lot more.”

That confidence has helped him in personal situations and professional ones. De Souza said there have been times when he had to address concerns with leaders, something he would not have been able to do without the self-assurance he developed in the Army.

“If I didn’t have confidence in myself, I wouldn’t have been able to do that”

Although he has only been with his current unit for about six months, De Souza said he appreciates the leadership and the platoon he is part of. He said leaders in the unit hold Soldiers accountable but do so in a way that feels respectful and focused on helping them improve.

“I really like the platoon I’m in right now, the leadership is super cool. They can get on you sometimes, but it’s always very respectful, and I feel like they do want the best for me.”

For those thinking about joining the Army, he said service can be a strong choice, especially for young people looking for direction. He said the experience is what a Soldier makes of it, and those who enter with the right mindset can find opportunity, growth and purpose.

“Joining the military, especially at a young age, you can’t go wrong with it, as long as you have good intentions going in.”

One of the lessons he wishes he had understood earlier is the importance of not taking every mistake personally. He said Soldiers have to learn, grow and care for the people around them, even when they come from different backgrounds or see things differently.

“You need to love yourself,” De Souza said. “You need to be able to love the people around you, whether you get along with them or not, because everyone here does the same things you do. They probably have all kinds of backgrounds, they probably miss their family, and everyone’s going through hard times, but we’re all in this together.”