The Warrior Ethos

Reflection on how Army ROTC enabled me to accomplish my dream: 

Winning the NCAA National Champion in Wrestling

After suffering a loss in the Big Ten Conference finals, I resolved to uphold the third component of the warrior ethos –I will never quit. Going into the NCAA Championship my senior year I was prepared to never quit, regardless of the position I found myself. In both my quarterfinals and semifinals matches, I had to defend my opponent’s attack with only seconds remaining. If I would have given up a late takedown in either match, I would have lost, but my resolve to live the warrior ethos enabled me to pull out the victory.

The lessons I have extrapolated from ROTC and applied elsewhere are many. In particular, I applied the concept of  ‘train as you fight’ as I wore a singlet (a competition wrestling uniform) during practice to help me get over the nervous of wrestling in a singlet in front of a sold out Rec Hall. From early morning staff meetings, the glaring lesson was if you want to succeed, preparation is paramount.

Losing by a point with only 20 seconds left in the NCAA finals, the warrior ethos once again returned in significance. This time I had to live “I will never accept defeat.” I gave my best effort and forced 2 technical violations to come from behind and win. The crazy, bizarre finish was anticlimactic, but was set in motion because with short time remaining I was unwilling to accept defeat.

Obviously, the lessons learned in ROTC have far weightier consequences than their application in a sporting event. We have been preparing to lead in the United States Army, what a calling. While it has been difficult to balance the many responsibilities during my college career, I have always been proud to attend ROTC functions. Whether it is waking up at 0500 for a urine analysis test, an APFT or being CiC for an event, it does not matter. Wearing the uniform and being able to represent the country is something special, an opportunity for which I am very grateful.

I have loved my time in the Nittany Lion Battalion –PENN STATE PROUD!