Boy Scouts and how it has Helped you in the military

[bricklayer]

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

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.

[BoyScout]

Originally Posted by albeham

Heading to Philmont Scout Ranch this Summer..Road Trip..

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.

[commosgt]

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.

[albeham]

Looks like their are a lot of us that scouts have been a big part of our lives.

So here is a good question:

The 4 Rivers District of the Baltimore Council is looking at doing a wilderness survival type camp-out, or merit badge support for the Boy Scouts troops.

I though it would be not only cool, but a great influence if a team or two would help us do this.
Being a SF type that I am I could do it all by myself. But why have all of the fun myself. So how can I talk to? Would like a POC to see if we can make this happen.

AL

[tim180a]

1. Yes.
2. No, I made it to Life Scout. I also was involved with the Order of the Arrow. One regret I have is that I didn't pursue Eagle Scout. I quit Scouting to join a band...
3. I spent a lot of time in Scouting. I started as a Cub Scout and progressed from there. I went to camp twice a year. Not only did we participate in summer camps, but we did week long winter camps called "Klondike Derby".
4. I don't think Scouting had anything to do with my decision to go SF. It did help with getting through the "Q" Course and several Mountain Schools.
5. Scouting can be nothing but positive for any military career. My son is now 3 and I hope to steer him in the direction of Scouting. I would of course do all I could to be a mentor to the Troop.

No, I don't still have my Totin' Chip Card...lol

[Flagg]

1. Were you ever in the Boy Scouts

Nope.....never had the opportunity...but spent a lot of time as a kid in the woods with my BB gun learning by trial and mostly error.

My two young fellas have started NZ Scouts and have already earned their first 3 badges


2. Did you obtain Eagle or what was your highest rank. (I am sure that there are several other Eagles on the board)

N/A for me

My two young fellas have been in for a couple months now...and we have another Scout meeting tonight.

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

N/A for me

I hope it helps our fellas.

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

N/A for me

But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't currently conducting "influencing operations" on my fellas to hopefully shape them towards serving their country....preferably in the Army...and hopefully a step or three beyond their old man if that's the path they choose.

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

I guess what has motivated my wife and I to encourage our children to become involved with NZ Scouts is reading about how Scouting is a frequent common denominator for business leaders, astronauts, SF, high achievers, etc.

So we figured, "let's do that too".

My next comments may not be totally aligned with this thread but I was unable to find any others(hopefully my search skills were up to scratch) on the forum.

We've(meaning "I" with my wife's full support) been trying to take baby steps in turning up the heat on our fellas in hopes of forging them in the appropriate direction in terms of life skills, attitude, and hopefully mindset

I am NOT SF, but I have successfully completed an "SF-like" assessment course that would appear to share some of the same goals and objectives of courses like Ranger School and SFAS...as best I can tell from open source.

I've also been invited back a couple times and am still involved on the instructing side of the house(only as a junior instructor working under some quite experienced SF folks) for the same assessment course.

What has intrigued me the most is the mental/psychological side(having seen it from both sides now) of it......but I'm only at the stage where my eyes have truly been opened, but I'm not a full time SME practitioner...so I could be at the "a little knowledge can be very dangerous" stage.

We have been trying to instill in our children the "don't quit" attitude that can often be tested and experienced in activities such as sport.

We've also been pushing them harder as they grow with trying to develop more self-reliance and to learn how to deal with ambiguity with confidence.

But my fear is that I don't want to turn into "that Dad" like the stories about Todd Marinovich in the NFL.

I guess where I'm personally looking for guidance as a Dad in training to a couple young kids is how to better help them develop the appropriate mindset that seems to differentiate SF from Regular Force personnel and high achievers in civilian life from the less successful.

As stated, I couldn't find a thread on life experiences when young that positively shaped and influenced folks to achieve success in SF and elsewhere. I wonder if some specific life experiences or family upbringing/parental expectations would present "clusters of considerable success" much like Scouts?

[Books]

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.

[Cagekicker]

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".

[ZonieDiver]

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

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).

[alright4u]

. 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.

[Lmmsoat]

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.

[TF Kilo]

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.

[alright4u]

Explorer No. CRS again. I was Life Scout.

[Jake0331]

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.

[Situ Shanren]

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.