Mental disposition before enlisting

[Bugsy]

With me it was a matter of the place I left, I came from a cesspool type of environment, most people ended up in prison or worse. I had never tested myself as a teenager for reasons I'll never really understand other than many of my peers didn't challenge themselves either (with the exception of when we played sports), but internally I "thought" I had what it took to make it (but I wasn't really sure, to be honest). Plenty of people had told me all my life that I would end up just like so and so or you'll never make it out of here like so and so etc etc, even my recruiter didn't think I would make it because of the neighborhood in which I came from, one of my friends told me I wouldn't make it because I rebelled against authority (and he had enlisted and then quit less than 5 weeks in basic).

But in my mind I had no other choice, it was my only real shot in life and I took full advantage of it. I couldn't quit because I had nothing to go back to and I knew it. To me if you're looking for what the proper attitude should be, I believe it should be THIS IS IT, YESTERDAY DON'T COUNT AND TOMORROW WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF. Don't look back. I had never been in a leadership position for my entire life prior to when I joined the Army. I knew everybody in my hood, I was good at sports, knew how to handle myself on the street but I wasn't a thug because of a few friends who kept me straight, but I was never the team captain, never the one who was the most popular, never thought of myself as a "leader" but I never shyed away from "what would I do" either.

During my arrival at reception there were all sorts of people who thought they were billy badasses from all over the nation and I would laugh directly in their face when they kissed ass to the NCO's "prior" to our assignment to our respective companies because I knew they didn't give a shit and it didn't count (I wasn't to well liked at reception and there were a couple of people who tried to test the waters sort of speak). Even at reception people thought I wouldn't make it etc etc, But when we got off that bus at A Co, DI's screaming people jumpin around, I knew that's when it all starts and that's when the bullshit stops. I was the first Senior PLT Leader chosen from my company and ended up being super troop of the cycle, at every test and challenge I had something to prove and what that was is I WAS NOT GOING TO LOSE!!! I WAS NOT GOING TO FAIL, I WAS NOT GOING TO BE A NOGO AT ANY STATION!

Nobody ever told me that what was I was supposed to think, its just something I felt "INSIDE" and that spirit/mindset whatever you want to call it just continued to grow as I progressed in the Army. The key young man is that from Basic to where-ever you end up..... its a progression you don't go from civilian to becoming a soldier overnight anymore than you become a Ranger overnight, its a continual growth cycle that once its completed (and you have the proper attitude) you will become the man that you never realized you could become. By the time you make it to the Rangers you'll have tested yourself to a degree that you never knew you could withstand, you'll know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is virtually nothing you can't accomplish or endure under the most trying circumstances. That in essence you have "The Right Stuff". I wish you good luck on your quest to become not only a Ranger but a man as well.

[Echo Zman]

Thank you for the excellent reply Ranger BeadleBug. Although, I did not have the exact situation you experienced, most people I know are headed down the wrong path so to speak. But, I do know where I want to go, and use their mishaps to re-enforce where I do not want to be. Again, thanks for the encouragement.


Understood Ranger Bell, and Ranger ImportsRsloths.

[Parabellum]

I was a shitty student and a fucking punk that needed my ass kicked. I wasn't going to go to college but I had always wanted to be in the military and so I just fucking did it.

Yes, I have changed in many ways since I have joined but....I have always been an asshole.