Be Prepared.

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Having a background in Boy Scouts as an Eagle Scout, I have become very comfortable with this phrase. “Be Prepared”. Boy Scouts is, in my eyes, very similar to ROTC. Not in all aspects, but some share a striking resemblance. For instance, in Boy Scouts, we learned how to camp outside and live off the land for days on end. In ROTC, they pick up where Boy Scouts left off per say. Instead of just living off the land, we learn to defend ourselves and each other. We learn tactics and combat scenarios to effectively function as a combat group, whether it be a platoon or a small squad. Although it is a little different than the military, there are still ranks in BS that help establish order and seniority. From Tenderfoot, which is the equivalence of probably a Private or PFC. (Private 1st class) to an Eagle Scout, which is most likely to equivalence to being the rank of Second Lieutenant.

In a way, I feel like Boy Scouts prepared me for the path ahead as a Cadet. Many things have changed and become forgotten along the way, but the basics are always there right in the back of my mind, forever engraved. It feels as if I had traded my tent in for a cot, pocket knife in for a rifle, uniform in for ACU’s, hiking boots in for combat boots, and badge in for rank.

Going on the many, sometimes long camping trips and outdoor adventures gave me a feel for nature. Being an Eagle Scout has helped me adapt so much easier to the Army life than anything else. Earning all those countless badges and ranks in Boy Scouts has given me motive to do it “for real” in the military. BS has given me so much experience in nature. From knowing which plants are bad and which are good, to knowing how to tie certain knots that are designed to withstand several specific tasks, being a part of such an organization in the past has given me a very solid foundation to walk upon. Knowing these skills, I can better help the ones next to me that may not have had such an opportunity.