A devout Hindu, Rajiv Sriram Srinivasan, aged 23, is a Lieutenant in the United States Army. In an essay competition conducted by Hindu American Foundation, Rajiv shared his thoughts on the identity crises he faced as being a man of Hindu faith believing in the peaceful coexistence of all beings and at the same time the need to patriotically serve United States as an army officer. Rajiv’s essay is highly inspirational and touches the core teachings of Sanatana Dharma. Rajiv is also the founder of the non-profit Beyond Orders that connects soldiers in war zones with NGOs in the United States to meet the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi and Afghani people. Here are some excerpts from the essay of Rajiv Sriram Srinivasan titled My Battle Within: The Identity Crisis of a Hindu Soldier in the US Army. It was selected as the first prize winner in the age 23-28 category of HAF’s competition. As I dawn my body armor, grab my weapon, and prepare to lead my platoon of 32 soldier