BTS¡¯ V wins excellence award in military, inspires fellow soldier to never give up: 'Taehyung hyung motivated me to keep going'

While most idols, actors, and celebrities struggle with their mandatory military service, BTS member Kim Taehyung, more popularly known by his stage name V, is showing there¡¯s more to him than just being a music superstar. While serving as the Special Duty Team (SDT) for the 2nd Division Military Police Corps in South Korea, the K-pop superstar is impressing everyone, not just with his skills, but with his genuine, hardworking nature.

Even though he¡¯s been battling shoulder and thigh injuries, V didn¡¯t let that hold him back. In fact, the 29-year-old totally smashed it in target shooting and snagged first place. Despite the pain, he powered through and ended up earning the prestigious Military Police Excellence Award, a military friend of the BTS star revealed.

A fellow soldier shares heartfelt memories of BTS¡¯s V in the military

On April 19, a fellow soldier who served alongside BTS¡¯s V took to social media to reflect on their time together during military service, and the post is as touching as it is inspiring. The soldier praised 'Taehyung hyung' for unwavering dedication, describing him as someone who didn¡¯t just show up but gave it everything he had, even while injured.

'He pushed through everything and still came out on top'

Despite suffering from shoulder and thigh injuries, V managed to outperform even the elite. According to his friend's post, he scored perfectly in target shooting and ranked first in both winter urban warfare training and shooting drills.

¡°Watching him push through his injuries and still take first place was truly inspiring,¡± the soldier wrote. ¡°He motivated me to keep going during our final 3km run, where we both finished well above the elite standard. That¡¯s something I¡¯ll remember forever.¡±

BTS' V hailed as true leader

V¡¯s achievements weren¡¯t just limited to his performance on the field. He quickly became known in his unit for his leadership, generosity, and down-to-earth vibe. He went out of his way to make things better for those around him, donating workout equipment to improve the base gym and treating his fellow soldiers to meals during off-base trips.

¡°You always bought us all the food we wanted when we got to leave the base or visit the PX,¡± the soldier shared. ¡°Thank you for doing that. I still can't forget about the eel sushi. It was delicious.¡±

'Because of you, I won't give up'

¡°Even after I was discharged, the passion that I learned to nurture in the military stayed with me and made me want to pursue my goal wholeheartedly,¡± the friend wrote. ¡°I really enjoyed my time in the unit because of you, hyung. I won't give up; I'll keep on trying, just like you, hyung. Always stay healthy, hyung!¡±

Lee Seung-min, one of BTS #V's friend from SDT, shared a heartfelt letter as a caption with some pictures and video of him with Kim Taehyung.

"To. Taehyung hyung,
Taehyung hyung, there were so many things I was thankful for during my military service, but I couldn't finish it pic.twitter.com/JIuKK5T17F

¡ª TAEHYUNG BASE (@popbaseTHV) April 18, 2025

Alongside the note, V's fellow comrade also dropped some never-seen-before pics of V from the military. The pictures show Taehyung enjoying his time in the military with his team members. despite the hardships of the military.

TAEHYUNG ??????????? pic.twitter.com/qn2LoWfHj5

¡ª ? (@THVCE) April 18, 2025

taehyung via ig post of his sdt unit friend

?: how is it ?
?: it¡¯s really delicious
?: cute pic.twitter.com/7mcspVNzsn

¡ª ? (@popiconer) April 18, 2025

About BTS' V's military service

BTS¡¯ V began his mandatory military service in December 2023 and is expected to be discharged on June 10, 2025. Earlier in his service, he earned Top Trainee honors alongside BTS leader RM during basic training and was later recognized as a Special Class Warrior in March 2024.

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