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1. Were you ever in the Boy Scouts
Yes
2. Did you obtain Eagle or what was your highest rank. (I am sure that there are several other Eagles on the board)
Mighty Mighty Webelo (keep reading)
3. How did your Scout training help you in your military life or your Civilian life.
My troop was mostly an excuse for the dad's to go camping and drink. We had no supervision. Once the sun went down the gloves came off. We spent most of our time brawling each other. I learned more about fighting a mob in the dark than a middle schooler should. My family didn't have a lot of money so I was the kid with the old school tent that required guylines and two poles to stay upright (like a shelter half, only flimsier) needless to say a few other scouts found it funny to constantly kick the lines out. I spent a lot of nights throwing fists.
Our scout master's were cheap but on the educational side. They'd throw us some raw food like eggs or meat and tell us to cook it or starve. We didn't have lighters, matches, or any training so we reinvented fire all by ourselves. One time I just cracked the egg into my mouth and called it a day. They took my tent away that night. Sleeping under the stars soon became a favorite.
One important lesson I learned was to improvise, overcome and adapt. And of course Be Prepared (I'm borderline OCD with preparedness)
4. Did your Scout training guide you toward your decision to go SF.
Didn't. Someone needs to stay with the line companies and show them the right way to go.
5.... Any other comments about Scouts and the Military.
etc etc etc
My first three badges were Wilderness Survival, Orienteering and Archery. I waited too long to make my shelter for Wilderness Survival and ended up with a teepee of just logs. It rained that night, hard. I shivered my way through the October rain and earned my badge like a champ.
My orienteering badge was earned at night (no day course). It consisted of me running full speed through the woods blindly running into barbed wire and falling into holes. I finished the course in record time with a few scratches on my thick skin.
Archery badge was earned with a bow I made myself. Not the prettiest thing in the world but it got the job done. I mentioned I didn't have a lot of money and the scout masters were cheap right?
The story of my first three badges basically sums up many of my experiences in the military. To this day I train my troops in the same manner I trained myself. I challenge them to think for themselves, create solutions and drive hard until the mission is done. I teach them that even though there is a NCO and Officer that is responsible and accountable for them it is ultimately up to them to finish the fight.
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