The life of a professional soldier in today’s world is one of intense training and incredible discipline. After reading the book “Absolutely American” by David Lipsky, in which he covers the experiences of multiple cadets at West Point over a course of four years. I thought of how well these young men and women are positioned to succeed after their military careers. These young officers work in the most stressful and dangerous situations on the planet and are able to leave and return back to the civilian world. Their immense and high stress training allows them to deal with and overcome incredible obstacles and challenges. Between the training they receive and the situations they fight through, these people are, shining examples of American grit and work ethic making them the perfect professional in a civilian workplace.

The military may train them for combat, however they also show them life skills and the ability to lead and overcome. This makes them the optimal person for any job or challenge they may face in the professional world. They possess the skills the employers of today are looking for and can be depended upon to complete any task. The question I pose is how do we transfer these incredible skills into the civilian world? How do we recreate this training with a professional career in mind?

Taylor Voges

Hyde School