When Capt. Randall Sides joined the U.S. Army four years ago, he fulfilled a longtime desire to serve in the military while continuing his passion for orthopedics and sports medicine. The 2017 Mercer graduate currently provides physical therapy services to the 7th Special Forces Group in Western Florida.
Originally from Loganville, Georgia, he earned a bachelor’s degree in biology in 2012 at the University of West Georgia. As a member of the school’s football team, he was exposed to the prevention and rehabilitation sides of sports, leading him to explore career paths related to both.
As he worked for Southwire Co. for two years doing polymer chemistry research and development and then corporate wellness work, he shadowed professionals in the sports medicine and orthopedic fields and decided that physical therapy was the best fit for him.
“For me, I felt like physical therapy was a lot more relational than transactional,” he said. “You have more time getting to know the patient, and that helps guide a lot of your treatment plans. What’s important to one person is different from the next person. Everything is a little more individualized.”
When it came to choosing a physical therapy program, Mercer stood out from the other institutions with which Sides interviewed.
“I really felt like Mercer was opening their doors and showing me more of what they had to offer,” he said. “They were really trying to make me a part of this family environment and invest in me.”
In addition, Sides appreciated that “Mercer went above and beyond” through the high standards it set for its physical therapy students and graduates. After graduating from the University, he completed Mercer’s 13-month orthopedic physical therapy residency program, while simultaneously working at the sports/orthopedic clinic Advanced Rehab in Suwanee. These experiences further developed his clinical skills and decision-making skills.
“Not only did I want to come out and be sufficient enough to be good, I wanted to be excellent. I think Mercer provided a structured program with a heavy emphasis on orthopedic care,” he said.
Sides worked for Advanced Rehab for two more years as a clinical education director and staff physical therapist, which allowed him to teach and mentor physical therapy students from Mercer and other universities.
In early 2020, Sides and his wife, Shelby, began thinking about starting a family and shifting their focus and lifestyle. He had visited his brother-in-law in the Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment several times, and that spurred him to finally meet with an Army recruiter and apply.
“That really sparked my passion for joining the military and inserting in that capacity,” said Sides, who now has two sons, ages 4 and 2. “I’d always been very passionate about the military and wanting to serve the community.”
In November 2020, Sides began his commission as an Army physical therapist. He was first stationed at Fort Moore, formerly named Fort Benning, where he was the officer in charge of one of the physical therapy clinics for Martin Army Community Hospital.
He oversaw physical therapy care for those in Officer Candidate School, Infantry Basic Officer Leader Course, Maneuver Captain’s Career Course, Airborne Ranger Training Brigade, and the Maneuver Center of Excellence. In 2022, he took on more of a sports medicine role as the director of tactical rehabilitation, and the following year, he managed three outlying physical therapy clinics as the assistant chief of physical therapy.
In May of this year, Sides and his family relocated to Western Florida, where he provides physical therapy services for the 7th Special Forces Group at Eglin Air Force Base. His job involves evaluating and treating patients, including subacute, acute, post operative and maintenance care, as well as administrative functions such as communicating with high-level commands about policies and procedures.
He works in conjunction with doctors, strength and conditioning coaches, dieticians, athletic trainers, cognitive performance specialists, and therapists to help patients dealing with the effects that chronic stress has had on their bodies and minds, he said.
“For me, I feel like I get to fulfill a personal and a spiritual calling,” he said. “I’ve always felt drawn to this special operations community, and I’ve been provided with the opportunity to serve in this capacity. Also, it’s just a personal calling that I’ve always wanted to be and work with those that are wanting to push themselves to be the best they can be.
“It’s very rewarding that I get to be around that community but also to work with these guys that are sacrificing a lot personally, physically and mentally and to get to serve them and help them gain back some of which, ultimately, they gave to our country.”
Sides will be promoted to major later this year, which will involve more administrative responsibilities. He hopes to continue to work with special operations soldiers. He may be stationed elsewhere in a few years, but for now, he’s enjoying the work he’s doing.
“I’m trying to grow and enjoy where my feet are planted,” he said. “I hope I can grow and learn from basically wherever the Lord places me.”
U.S. Army Capt. Randall Sides is among the Mercerians featured in Mercer Illustrated: The Places, People, and Experiences of a Uniquely Impactful University. This coffee table book from Mercer University Press will be released Nov. 5, and pre-orders and orders can be placed online. Mercer faculty, staff and students can receive a 40% discount when they order by phone at (478) 301-2880.
