Ben Smith served in the army before vying for Tayshia Adams' rose on The Bachelorette. According to his since-removed bio on ABC, Ben completed his education at the United States Military Academy at West Point and the United States Army Ranger School. Ben also revealed that he was originally recruited to play golf at West Point, which was the catalyst to him pursuing a career in the armed forces.
When Ben's time serving was cut short after he sustained a back injury, that pushed him into pursuing a different career. He opened up about it in a YouTube video, explaining his decision to leave the army. "I had this epiphany, 'you know what, I don't need to do this anymore,'" he revealed. Following a conversation with his dad, Ben pursued personal training in Los Angeles instead.
Although Ben ultimately chose not to remain on active duty, he expressed his gratitude to the military in an Instagram post. "I am lucky to have had those experiences and I am proud of how it has shaped my response to other times of hardship — mental, emotional, and even physical, he wrote."
