Boy Scouts and how it has Helped you in the military
 

On another thread we were commenting about how the Boy Scout experience had helped us in our training and careers.

I thought it would be good to find out from our fellow QP's and fellow board members some of the following.

1. Were you ever in the Boy Scouts
2. Did you obtain Eagle or what was your highest rank. (I am sure that there are several other Eagles on the board)
3. How did your Scout training help you in your military life or your Civilian life.
4. Did your Scout training guide you toward your decision to go SF.
5.... Any other comments about Scouts and the Military.
etc etc etc

:munchin:lifter:munchin

If I may.
 

1. Yes
2. No, 4 badges away, 2 for Life, made it to Star when I hit 18. I was the troop Instructor though.
3. I have a lot of skills that come in handy in my daily, but honestly it was a major factor in me just growing up.
4. N/A
5. I was lucky enough to have a great Troop, excellent Scout Master and a lot of the values taught are instilled into me today. I use a lot of the skills that I was taught and have taught regularly. I am just a bit rusty with a compass.

Guess I should post..

1. I was a scout and an adult leader also
2. Eagle with 2 palms ..... Bronze & Gold
3. Every day in my life has been influenced by my scouting experiences. My Scout training helped me in SF training and many aspects of my career. It also helped me in many family things that I have done with my son and daughter. I always tell them that SF only honed my skills I learned in scouts.
4. No but it helped make that decision easier during training.
5. Every boy should have some exposure with the scouts regardless of being from the city or country. The scouts help instill core values and many skills that help young men in their life. We need all the positive influences that we can get today with our kids.

Boy Scouts
 

1. Yes
2. No, 1st Class but made every camp-out for 5 year.
3. I would guess the benefit of learning the challenges of leadership early in life helped the most. I suspect Phase -One was somewhat easier based on my Scout experience and my general love for the outdoors.
4. My neighbor, a Vietnam Veteran from 5th Group had me eyeballed early, I never had another aspiration.
5. My son joined in October; I am involved in the troop and now teaching new adult leaders (IOLS) in the district. Paying it back.

1. Yes
2. Yes, with Silver Palm. Order of te Arrow, God and Country, Wood Badge (Also in CubScouts and Webelos)
3. Organizational Skills, problem solving and accepting challenges.
4. Not really, but it did effect the way I looked at military life particularly the challenges during training.
5. Regardless of background and where you grow up, I think this is one of the best opportunities for young boys to mature and grow to face life's obstacles.

1. Yes.
2. Eagle Scout, Order of the Arrow.
3. Steered me from going down the wrong road as a Teenager. Learned how to swim properly.
4. No. But developed the basis to look for, find and accept challenges.
5. I agree with everyone's comment.

1. Yes.
2. Eagle.
3. Field craft. Knots & Lashings. Mile swim. Philmont...lots of rucking with weight there...
4. Yes. Met a Vietnam Vet who was a Ranger. Had some great discussions....
5. While other patrols were named "beaver" snake" "wolf" etc...we were the "Airborne" patrol....interestingly we had a arrowhead patch that you might find familiar... somehow, I knew even then where I was going...

1. Y

2. Star - left after 2 years due to > time commitments in HS sports, 4H, FFA - sports and ag programs were > bigger than scouting in the area I grew up in.

3. Taught me many skills I've used/enhanced throughout my life - especially land nav, first aid, citizenship. My favorite merit badge was the old reptile one with the coiled rattlesnake embroidered in the circle - kinda sad they replaced it.

4. Really don't think so; never gave it much thought.

5. 3 sons - all in Cubs - 2 in Boy Scouts ( 1 Star/1 Eagle) - I still remain a part of a Troop Committe, teach Citizenship in the World, and sit on Eagle Boards.

FWIW - everyone wanted to have a Beaver patrol but our Scoutmaster, a retired Navy CPO, wouldn't allow it because he knew exactly what we were thinking...so we were the Eagle patrol. ;)

Richard's $.02 :munchin

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)
Yes
3. How did your Scout training help you in your military life or your Civilian life.
I did not serve, but think it helped with maturity at an earlier age.
4. Did your Scout training guide you toward your decision to go SF.
NA
5.... Any other comments about Scouts and the Military.
I think it was a great organization when I was in (80s). I am not sure how it is now as I am not involved. I am thinking about becoming a merit badge counselor. My son is too young for scouts at this time.

1. Were you ever in the Boy Scouts
2. Did you obtain Eagle or what was your highest rank. (I am sure that there are several other Eagles on the board)
3. How did your Scout training help you in your military life or your Civilian life.
4. Did your Scout training guide you toward your decision to go SF.
5.... Any other comments about Scouts and the Military.
etc etc etc

Yes, I was a Scout.

Yes, I was an Eagle Scout.

I used the experiences constantly while serving my Country both in the Military and as a civilian. An example is using the map and compass training that the Scouts taught me helped get me selected for the Rangers.

I think on a subliminal level it may have contributed.

I am still a Scout Leader with over 50 years affiliated as an adult and a youth. I have been honored to serve my council as the 1st Venturing Advisor in the U.S. (Crew 2000) and to be named a Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow.

Life Scout, continued into the Explorers.

On one weekend campout, we had a new assistant scoutmaster, tall and skinny, looked kinda like Jerry Reed if memory serves. He didn't say much and he didn't attend church, which, at the time was a big WTF, as our troop was sponsored by the parish. The dad/scoutmaster that bought him along said he had served in the Marines in the early years of the Viet Nam war.

One night, only he and I remained sitting around the campfire, everyone else had turned in. At the time, I was sure that I would enlist in some capacity. Wanting to start a conversation I asked him "if there was ONE thing you would tell someone going to the RVN what would it be?"

Now, since then, I have spoken with hundreds of vets with varying experiences and more than one bigmouthed poser. Couple questions, yeah he was never even in, done. This was not the case here.

He thought about my question for a few seconds, looked me right in the eye, and said "If you shoot them and they go down slow you got 'em, but if they drop quick you missed."

Hey, I asked.

I made for a very short but memorable conversation for this 11 year old.

1. Were you ever in the Boy Scouts?
Yes Troop 122 in Nurenberg Germnay, Troop 21in Heidelberg, Some civilian (church) affiliated troop in Colo Sprs -- can't remember it's number.
2. Did you obtain Eagle or what was your highest rank? I made Life. Not making Eagle is one of the few things I regret in my life.
3. How did your Scout training help you in your military life or your Civilian life?
Yes, I already knew a lot of fieldcraft. I had understood about Being Prepared and Doing a Good deed Daily. The Scout Law works everywhere anytime.
4. Did your Scout training guide you toward your decision to go SF?
I don't think it guided me toward it but it did help me stay the course.
5.... Any other comments about Scouts and the Military? I have two boys in Scouts. The "ShortStop" just made First Class The "Little Dude" is a Tiger Cub. BTW We took a little Spring Break" to Destin FL and LD got a little seperated from Mom (not too fun) He was found sitting near a dune that had a good view of the beach -- near "the last place I (he) remembered seeing Mom". When asked, he said "I remembered it from Tiger Cubs"

Oh yeah and this. The 16yo daughter brought the first official boy-friend home.
He actually defied the little princess by accepting the challenge to drop by an extended family gathering.
He can carry on a multi-sylabic conversation.
He waxed eloquent regarding the honor of being the Senior Class President and how proud he will be when he completes his Eagle Project.
I notice him in church every week and he introduced the Mom and I to his Mom and Dad after Easter Mass.

DAMN! I was so hoping the first five or six would be trolls I could frighten away!

1. Yes, briefly. There was no real interest or support from boys or fathers in my town. Junior Achievement, FFA, and 4H were far more popular.

2. No

3. I joined because the troop was getting free Private Pilot Ground School. From there I got my PP ticket. After the Army I used my bennies to get my Commercial and Dispatcher's license. (Which led to meeting my future, present, and only wife, another Dispatcher.)

4. N/A

5. Probably more valuable today than ever before. Most of us FOGs learned a lot of the skills taught in Scouting from our grandparents or parents.

Pat

1. yes
2. didn't make it very far...probably 2nd or 1st class Scout
3. it was a good introduction to fieldcraft. I don't know how much I actually took away from it, but I definitely learned that I liked being out in the field and I spent hours reading the Boy Scout Handbook learning survival skills.
4. N/A
5. My heart wasn't really in the Scouts, probably because it wasn't quite "military" enough to really keep my attention. It was, however, a good experience, and if I ever have kids, I would certainly encourage them to do it. I ended up in Civil Air Patrol, which has its faults, but there I really started to learn the skills that would help me in the Army. Land nav, rappelling, long marches, etc., plus I came into contact with a lot of veterans, as well as other like minded teenagers. I know at least one of my peers from CAP went SF (5th Group), and many more who went Marines, Rangers, and infantry.

RIP CPT Brian Faunce.

1. Yes, was a Cub scout and a Boy scout, for a short time. Moved a lot due to Navy. Today I am a Cub Master. I have a Boy in scouts, advancing into WEBLOS, and a girl that is in Girl Scouts.

2. Tenderfoot, The Navy was not for me.

3. Like others. It helped me to learn field craft, giving me a good sense in the woods before the Army. But above all a connection to our country. Yes, it had and is continuing with me in my lifes Skill sets. Got into Ham Radio while in Scouts, at the age of 15, I did years as a 18E, now I am Electronic Engineer, in the RF discipline. Yes, it is a big impact in my life.

4. It helped

5. The Scouting program should be lived by every boy. Its not just fun in the woods, the outdoor life, but its the connections that are made every time a leader leads, a boy discovers. Its a great way to set the example of our love of our country and pass it on to the future leaders of our country.
Heading to Philmont Scout Ranch this Summer..Road Trip.. :munchin

1. Were you ever in the Boy Scouts
Yes. Started out in Cub Scouts, active in boy scouts up until I was 17, and I even was a Counselor for Cub Scout summer camp one summer.
2. Did you obtain Eagle or what was your highest rank. (I am sure that there are several other Eagles on the board)
I only made it to Star. When I was 16 I went to a Military Youth Academy and turned 17 just two weeks after 9/11. I joined the military and had a lot less time for scouting.
3. How did your Scout training help you in your military life or your Civilian life.
I think that not having a father in my case it helped immeasurably provide me with a good moral foundation. It also taught me field craft that I put to use professionally and personally all the time. Being prepared!! I always have the gear I need and then some.
4. Did your Scout training guide you toward your decision to go SF.
Actually the training influences my decisions greatly pertaining to this. After my return from this deployment I'd like to attend selection. If I could get paid to camp and teach other people how to survive and fight, it wouldn't get much better.
5.... Any other comments about Scouts and the Military.
etc etc etc
GET INVOLVED!! If I didn't have scout leaders I have no idea how I'd be today.

1. Were you ever in the Boy Scouts?

Yes, for about 3 years.


2. Did you obtain Eagle or what was your highest rank?

No, 2nd Class... Didn't make 1st Class, because I didn't get the hang of Morse code. Kinda funny, because I wound up being an 05B4S:D - 18E to you young bucks!

3. How did your Scout training help you in your military life or your Civilian life.

The fieldcraft skills learned in the troop and at Boy Scout summer camp have been very useful in both.

4. Did your Scout training guide you toward your decision to go SF?

No.

5.... Any other comments about Scouts and the Military.
etc etc etc?

I think Scouting is something every youngster should have the opportunity to experience. The quality of the experience is proportional to the quality of the leadership in the troop.

Looking back on my youth I wish I would have had the opportunity to spend some time with the Scouts. I think that it is a very positive thing for a young man to do. Unfortunately I grew up in a rural area and didn't have the chance. But in a sense growing up in the country did help me with the military in some ways because I spent a lot of time hiking, camping, fishing, and shooting.

1. Were you ever in the Boy Scouts?

Spent 4 years in Cub Scouts (no Tiger Scouts back in my day), earned the Arrow of Light; spent 7 years in Boy Scouts. I've been involved as an adult Scouter for the last 4 years at both the Cub Scout and Boy Scout level.


2. Did you obtain Eagle or what was your highest rank?

Yes. Also OA. I wish I had stayed active after finishing my Eagle to apply my additional merit badges towards palms, but I got distracted by the fumes in high school--exhaust fumes and perfumes ;)

3. How did your Scout training help you in your military life or your Civilian life.

In civilian life, it started me down the road to being self-sufficient and increased my comfort with living in the woods. It also broadened my understanding of citizenship and many other skills I may not have sought out to learn on my own (through earning various merit badges). On the mil side, it helped my fieldcraft, navigation, first aid knowledge and knots, and provided the seeds I'd later develop into my understanding and practice of leadership.

4. Did your Scout training guide you toward your decision to go SF?

Not really, but I feel it gave me a leg up in some of the training, since I had done something similar to it before in Scouts (esp. the lashinging in SFAS)

5. Any other comments about Scouts and the military, etc.?

I find Scouting to be a great program. Sure, it has its faults, but the benefit derived is IMO far greater. Its served as a great opportunity for me to teach my boys many of the things I wanted them to learn growing up, and teaches them that hard work can indeed pay off.

Speaking of hard work, I recently happened across a letter from Mike Rowe to a Scout regarding earning the Eagle rank that was posted on another forum. I've attached it to this post. His stats are just a little off, but the point is still valid. The more I learn about this guy, the more I like him.

I can appreciate that one - I struggled with Morse code, too. Fortunately, learning semaphore (using signal flags to send messages) was an alternative back then and I was able to pass. :D

Richard's $.02 :munchin

1. Yep, but I had problems with organizations with rules. . . didn't last much beyond 2nd Class. The troop I was involved in was big on climbing/camping/etc and less focused on rank.
2. Rank: see prior note.
3. Did Boy Scouts help me? As a kid, I was a whole bag of mess and BS was a good thing for me; should have stayed in longer rather than skipping out and going the petty criminal path (which, in it's own small way help prepare me for SF as well). Interestingly, I did a trip with some TACPs about a month a go up Mt. Rainier to do Cold weather training (snow caves, cold weather medicine) and it was the first time since I was 13 where I had built a snow cave. Good times.
4. Not really. . . I've always wanted to be a sneaky pete. I was a sneaky pete as a Boy Scout and it got me into a little bit of trouble then.
5. I think Scouting is a fantastic program and wholeheartedly support it. I've thought at times that I might want to be a Scout Master or work with Explorers if only I wouldn't leave for work on such a regular basis.

1. Were you ever in the Boy Scouts
- Yes. Tiger Cubs , Weblos & Boy Scouts. My whole family including my mother who was the first woman to be inducted into tha Order of the Arrow was involved in scouting. My father was a Scoutmaster before I was born and was proud as hell the day he pinned my Eagle Badge on me.

2. Did you obtain Eagle or what was your highest rank. (I am sure that there are several other Eagles on the board)
- Yes, Eagle Scout, Order of the Arrow, Camp Cadre for 4 years, Bsa Lifeguard

3. How did your Scout training help you in your military life or your Civilian life.
- Leadership, Land Nav, Pioneering, Common Sense & Maturity. Ended up meeting the love of my life at summer camp! That was the Camp Nurses Daughter not my Scoutmaster:p

4. Did your Scout training guide you toward your decision to go SF.
- Most Definetely

5.... Any other comments about Scouts and the Military.
etc etc etc
- It was better than sitting on the couch all summer playing video games and eating chips all day. Everthing I ever learned in the Scouts I have applied to my everyday life and has put me a step ahead of my peers at all times.

Guess the Scouts had Higher Standards than the Military.....:p

It kicked my ass also and I learned semaphore like Richard did.

Semaphore got me through my 1st Class requirements, too. When I was in RVN my Morse abilities were so bad that my four letter ID was ... .... .. -

I remember getting my Arrowhead and my first 50 Miler award. It's something I took pleasure in earning. 614C2 (the number assigned to our group) is still burned into my head and it's been nearly 2 decades since I was there. Enjoy it every minute of it, I did.

1. Were you ever in the Boy Scouts?

Yes, Cub Scouts, Weblos and Boy Scouts.

2. Did you obtain Eagle or what was your highest rank?

No, I got Life Scout. I was playing alot of sports around the age of 16 and did not have too much time for Scouts. I regret not getting Eagle, because I and a couple others from our group never got Eagle.

3. How did your Scout training help you in your military life or your Civilian life?

No military experience, yet. In my civilian life, the morals and values that Scouts has taught me has helped. I follow the motto of Being Prepared everyday of my life.

4. Did your Scout training guide you toward your decision to go SF?

No.

5. Any other comments about Scouts and the Military etc etc etc.

Scouting is a great program that teaches young men skills, morals and values that will help them in their lives. I think about my Scouting experiences all the time and the fun I had. Every boy should participate in Scouting, and I hope to get more involved in Scouting than I already am.

I am printing that one for my 14-yo son, a Life Scout with a Service project left that he has been delaying. Thanks for posting that letter, Razor.

1. Yes.
2. Eagle Scout and OA.
3. Two most important lessons learned through the Scouts: Follow through on things you begin, and Be Prepared.
4. N/A
5. I was fortunate enough to be part of a great Troop that was actively involved in the community. I still know people i met through various Scout related activities, like Scouting for Food, etc. The Scoutmaster and other troop leaders did a great job organizing hiking, mountain biking, skiing, camping, whitewater rafting, and various other adventure trips. Summer camps at Camp Yawgoog in Rockville, RI are some of the fondest memories i have as a young man.

1. Were you ever in the Boy Scouts?

Yep. Troop 342 - Raleigh, NC.

2. Did you obtain Eagle or what was your highest rank?

Eagle Scout.

3. How did your Scout training help you in your military life or your Civilian life.

For me, the real contribution of Scouting was learning how to work with a group of people that I had nothing else in common with.

4. Did your Scout training guide you toward your decision to go SF?

Scouting didn't guide me towards SF, but it showed me that if I put my mind to it, I could get done what needed to be done. That's helped me out a lot over the years.

5. Any other comments about Scouts and the military, etc.?

My Troop was fortunate enough to have several former military parents as leaders. Their experiences with herding cats must have helped them when faced by a room full of awkward teenagers with pocketknives.

1. Yes
2. Eagle Scout and Order of the Arrow
3. Provided the fundamentals to help me grow up, have better SA and basic skills. Survival, Road marching, shooting, uniform preparation, etc.
4. No, but it helped with my decision to go into the Infantry.
5. I think BSA is something every kid should go into and that our youth will be much better off in life with the core fundamentals that they are taught... I also think that Boy Scouts is a "civilian" version of JROTC, only without military ranking and "objectives". :)

1. Yes, though my tenure was short-lived.
2. I never attained ANY rank.
3. The Boy Scout Manual of the time was my guide to life! I had one many years before I even joined a Boy Scout Troop. I would give my soul for that manual.
4. It did not guide me toward SF, but once I made that decision it was invaluable in helping me complete my goal. The fieldcraft I knew and practiced as of assistance not only in testing, but in training.
5. Good Scout leaders are essential, and in short supply (IMHO).

Re: Boy Scouts
 

. Were you ever in the Boy Scouts
2. Did you obtain Eagle or what was your highest rank. (I am sure that there are several other Eagles on the board)
3. How did your Scout training help you in your military life or your Civilian life.
4. Did your Scout training guide you toward your decision to go SF.
5.... Any other comments about Scouts and the Military.
etc etc etc

1. Yes.
2. No. Explorer with all badges for Eagle. Father was transferred.
3. Authority/discipline/goals.
4. No.
5. The NCO's spent many hours teaching scouts. Add baseball, football, boxing, plus how to shoot pool. Years ago, the USMA considered being an Eagle scout as an attribute. I recall the time those NCO's spent with me.

1. Were you ever in the Boy Scouts
-Yes, cub scouts through boy scouts

2. Did you obtain Eagle or what was your highest rank. (I am sure that there are several other Eagles on the board)
-Yes, Eagle. Earned enough for a palm but never sought to get it awarded. I was too busy chasing my future wife.

3. How did your Scout training help you in your military life or your Civilian life.
-First, the leadership skills I learned in scouting has helped me from the beginning of basic through present day. Second, it helped me appreciate the effectiveness of teamwork. It's a testimony to scouting when you watch over a dozen teens erect a bivouac site that would make any drill sergeant proud.

4. Did your Scout training guide you toward your decision to go SF.
-I believe so. I think the person you are today is a reflection of the experiences you have had in the past. Working in small groups of tightly knit scouts, I think, made me seek out the same type of environment in the military. You can't get any tighter than an SFODA.

5.... Any other comments about Scouts and the Military.
-I believe scouting is a great opportunity for young kids. One of the greatest character builders in the modern times.

1) Yes, troop 599 in California.

2) Never made Eagle, attained 1st class.

3) Scout training helped in many aspects, lashings, packing stuff to be able to ruck easier, some woods skills.

4) I didn't go SF, but I think it had some effect on my desire to become a Ranger.

5) My first scoutmaster was a vietnam veteran and passed on a large amount of woods knowledge that I later recognized as field training, once I started getting taught many of the same tricks while active duty. Basically everything I did in the Scouts was directly relevant to a required skill for someone in Regiment.. Swimming, shooting, hiking, orienteering, span of control, planning... I was my patrol leader 2 months after I joined the troop and spent a year in that position, then was chosen by my peers as senior patrol leader and remained there for 4 years until I enlisted.

Re: My Rely.
 

Explorer No. CRS again. I was Life Scout.

1. I joined the Boy Scouts when I was 14. Late start, but I figured I needed all the "resume" meat I could get for a West Point application. Too many sports plus scouts equals bad grades in school - I enlisted as a jarhead instead!

2. Got my Eagle the week before I turned 18, by the skin of my teeth.

3. Four months after reporting into my fleet unit, we flew to Bridgeport, CA for a month of mountain warfare school. My scouting experience gave a me huge advantage over 99% (+ or -) of the battalion due to field crafts such as pioneering, survival, and orienteering. 19 year old kid as a team leader felt pretty good.

4. I'm not SF, but it definitely gave me confidence as a grunt.

5. Maybe it's just my experience on the "Left" coast, but it seems to me that much of the moral integrity of the scouts is being eroded away. I think it's the finest organization any boy could be a part of, but it's under relentless attack by deviants in America.
Quick side story: One summer camp I attended a few times; Camp Parsons. My troop was a bunch of studs and we won EVERY competition. Well, until an all-Korean troop from San Fran flew up to camp one year. These kids were ultra militant - uniforms gigged up, close-cropped hair, and motivated like you wouldn't believe! And this troop was massive! At least 100 strong. They cleaned house and stole our thunder.

My Limited Experience
 

1. Started as the lowliest of lows in the Cub Scouts and worked my way through the ranks of Boy Scouts.
2. I was one merit badge away from earning my Eagle. I regret it now, but for me, Boy Scouts was a venue which provided the opportunities for me to be in the wilderness and learn outdoor skills. I regret not pursuing the Eagle all the way because it let my mother down (she worked hard to help me with what I deemed were boring merit badges). That's a loss of honor that I'm trying to make better now.
3. I'm more comfortable in the wilderness than I am in the city. I feel more at home in the forest because of the campouts we went on as Scouts. It's also imbued a desire to rank-up and earn higher achievements to better prepare myself for the future.
4. Although I'm not a quiet professional, Scouting was a major cornerstone of my life and seemed to create a force that has been pushing me towards becoming SF.
5. I know my achievements are miniscule compared to the heroes I'm posting with, but this far into my IET phase of training, I've achieved the highest honors in both schools, and I attribute a large part of that to the upbringing I had from Boy Scouts. Every boy needs to join and maybe then we can save a degenerating society of new youth.

1. Were you ever in the Boy Scouts
Started in cubs and moved up the ranks

2. Did you obtain Eagle or what was your highest rank.
Yes I obtained Eagle at 17 and held almost all roles at one time in my troop, all leadership positions were elected in our troop and I held them all (except assistant scout master)

3. How did your Scout training help you in your military life or your Civilian life.
I am not currently serving yet I think it helps me every day. From the skills I developed in communication, leadership and morals they are all called upon daily.

4. Did your Scout training guide you toward your decision to go SF.
Hmm that's an interesting one, the scouts showed me how much I enjoy the outdoors, adventure and helping others and a real feeling of team spirit. So I think that although not consciously yes scouts did influence my decision.

5.... Any other comments about Scouts and the Military.
From the contacts I still have that are involved it has become very political and they are not allowed to do nearly the fun stuff we did (blowing up dead trees with tons of bottle rockets and fire crackers). A lot of the skills are still taught, yet I get the feeling that a lot was lost with all the political correctness crap they now have to do, and the council is supposedly overbearing on the troops.

I was in Scouts
Got my Eagle day before my 18th Birthday (That was a close one)
OA, though was never very active.
We had a very active troop, Attended the Natl. Jamboree in 2001 at AP hill
Did Phillmont in '04
The biggest thing about scouts that helped me in the Military was getting use to working with a group out doors. Divide and conquer so to speak. the basic field craft learned in Scouts has also helped me pick up military field craft quickly.
Getting my Eagle was the Single greatest thing I could have done with my life before the Army and I recommend that all young men get involved in the BSA.

1. Were you ever in the Boy Scouts?
2. Did you obtain Eagle or what was your highest rank? (I am sure that there are several other Eagles on the board)
3. How did your Scout training help you in your military life or your Civilian life?
4. Did your Scout training guide you toward your decision to go SF?
5.... Any other comments about Scouts and the Military?


1. Yes.
2. Eagle (I was not allowed to get my driver's license until I finished!!!).
3. It has helped me everyday in regards to being prepared, having integrity, etc.
4. I'm going through MEPS next week to start the process (I'm confident what I learned in scouts can be applied in SF).
5. Boy Scouts helped me stay out of trouble and realize that there is more to life and relationships with others than we think!