Boy Scouting Influences Life in the Military

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

03.25.2009

Courtesy Story

10th Mountain Division Sustainment Brigade Public Affairs Office

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CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq – Feb. 8, 2010 will mark the centennial anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America. There are few organizations that could boast anything similar to the long-lasting, positive influence that the Boys Scouts have had on our nation. Though not everyone may have been a member, many have been affected by the Boy Scouts in one way or another. The Boy Scouts of America is the type of organization that has always and still does believe in making a positive impact on our society. The organization has accomplished this by imparting to its members the importance of morals and values and the need to stand up and become a living example of these values. These values are identified in the Scout Law and Oath:

SCOUT LAW
A SCOUT IS:
TRUSTWORTHY
LOYAL
HELPFUL
FRIENDLY
COURTEOUS
KIND
OBEDIENT
CHEERFUL
THRIFTY
BRAVE
CLEAN
REVERENT

SCOUT OATH (or PROMISE)
ON MY HONOR I WILL DO MY BEST
TO GOD AND MY COUNTRY
AND TO OBEY THE SCOUT LAW;
TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE AT ALL TIMES;
TO KEEP MYSELF PHYSICALLY STRONG,
MENTALLY AWAKE, AND MORALLY STRAIGHT.

SCOUT MOTTO
BE PREPARED

I remember being a young scout and learning the Scout Law and Oath. At that time they were just words, but as I spent more time learning and experiencing things through Scouting, the words took form. They began to mean that a person, no matter what age, cared about his environment, society and world as a whole and chose to do something about maintaining and improving it. That may sound too profound for an 11-year old, but many times this influence was exercised by simply picking up trash in a park, collecting food for less fortunate folks or helping the elderly in the neighborhood. Merely, doing what you can to make an impact in your own "piece of the pie," something that I have carried over to my military career. As military leaders, we can't always influence big decisions at high levels of command, but we can take care of our portion of the mission to the best of our ability. This is part of being loyal, helpful and obedient and doing one's best.

To all military members, the Scout Law and Oath should have a familiar ring. Some of the very same values and core beliefs that Soldiers, and all other service members are taught to embody, are core tenets in the Boy Scouts. The Seven Core Values and the Soldier's Creed that every Soldier is taught in basic training are very similar to the values taught to Scouts. Both sets of values speak of being physically, mentally and morally strong. These values have become so ingrained in my personality that I find myself expecting these traits from others around me. Wouldn't our nation benefit as a whole if everyone lived by these values?

Many of the influences that Scouting had on me were just as important. As with most scouts, we were rewarded with the occasional camping trip. It was during these trips that we learned such things as how to pitch our own camp sites, how to cook outdoors, canoeing, swimming and practicing safety while doing these activities. Again, as leaders in the Army, we find ourselves regularly emphasizing the importance of safety in everything we do.

It was also during camping trips that we learned the importance of the Scout Motto, "Be Prepared." Being prepared meant bringing the right equipment for the task at hand, which meant learning to plan ahead. In the Army we call it "backwards planning," but the concepts are the same. For example, as Scouts we learned and practiced first aid skills so we were ready for any situation if an accident should occur. This mindset has served me well over the years as both a combat medic and now as a company executive officer.

Underlying all of these life lessons was a sense of duty to our country and a reverence toward God. Today, these two traits are the cornerstones of who I am. In my case, I am prior enlisted from the days of Operation Desert Storm. I completed three years on active duty and then three years on reserve status. When our nation went to war in Operation Enduring Freedom and later Operation Iraqi Freedom, I felt that ping of duty call me as I watched others deploy. It was then that I decided to re-enter the service and contribute as best I could to the fight. I truly believe that the source of my sense of duty comes from the early influence of my family and the Boy Scouts during my childhood. I also have always given the Boy Scouts credit, that in a society in which the topic of God is considered politically incorrect, the Boy Scout organization has stood strong in its stance of the importance of a relationship with God. I have learned that through the good and the bad (and many of both were while I was in the Army) that it is important to maintain some sort of relationship with God. "There are no atheists in the foxhole," as the old saying goes.

In the end, I believe that we all gravitate toward people and organizations that share similar values and morals. Usually, as in my case, parents lay the foundation; but our experiences growing up mold us into the adults we all become.

As a young child I gravitated toward the Boy Scouts because they taught the same values that my folks did. It was never forced by my parents and participation was always left up to me. Later, serving in the military was an easy choice, where the same values were considered important and where I could contribute to the nation as a whole.

Would I have turned out the same without the reinforcement and life lessons of Scouting? I don't know for certain, but I do know that the experiences I had while participating in Scouting left positive marks that have lasted a lifetime. I am proud to have those marks and hope that someday my own children can have some of the same experiences I enjoyed.