In June 1990, I found myself in a truly unique situation. I was attending advanced camp at Fort Riley, Kansas, with a clear mission: to become an active-duty officer, I had to achieve a particular score during this five-week evaluation of my leadership abilities. We were rated on a five-point scale: five for outstanding, four for excellent, three A for good, three B for average, and three C for below average.
To secure a spot as an active-duty officer, you needed to earn a four or a five, with a three A providing a slim chance, while a 3B or 3C meant no chance at all. Despite my best efforts, I achieved a three A. While it wasn't the higher score I had hoped for, I felt content with the result.
In hindsight, I didn't fully appreciate the experience. I was immersed in an environment where I interacted with cadets from universities across the country. I formed bonds with cadets from various colleges, and we often cherished moments when we weren't under evaluation, just being regular squad members.
The unpredictability of being thrust into leadership roles for evaluation was a constant challenge. We still had to excel in other areas like weapon qualification, land navigation, and the physical fitness test—all integral parts of the process.
Looking back, it was an incredibly enjoyable experience. We were all there for the same purpose, striving for those coveted scores, yet beneath the competitiveness, we were just young adults, most of us around 20 or 21 years old.
It's amusing to think about us hanging out and enjoying conversations. We all had early mornings, unsure when we'd be called upon for evaluation, and that added an element of stress.
But our journeys to reach this point were remarkably similar. We had all completed three years of Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) classes, navigated various challenges to qualify for the program, and knew we had an equal number of opportunities to demonstrate leadership abilities.
During those five weeks, I underwent significant personal growth. Everything I had learned during the preceding three years started to click. I finally grasped the practical application of our training. I'm not sure if I hadn't paid attention in college or if I was resistant to what was taught, but when placed in a stressful situation, it all made sense.
Admittedly, I made my fair share of mistakes during that time. I made small blunders like forgetting to eat or holding onto items meant for someone else. I hesitated in making decisions when under pressure.
Nevertheless, when I looked back on the experience, despite not achieving my desired score, I felt better prepared to be an officer than when I had started. Above all, the camaraderie of going through it with around 100 other cadets made the entire journey worthwhile.
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