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SWAT training and the Boy Scouts
When the time came for me to attend basic SWAT training I was joined by several men, most of whom had prior military training or experience. We were released into the wilderness, and our task was to navigate our way back to base. The others, of course, gave me a hard time, as I was a city boy and a teacher, after all.
Why would I know anything about nature?
I listened and I was competitive and I knew how to use a compass. I even remember putting one together during my time in scouting. I felt like a kid again, walking through those woods and trying to clock as much speed as I could along the way. Ultimately I found the task to be quite simple. Undeterred by the mockery of my fellow trainees, I followed my compass back to square one and took first place in the event!
To me, this situation underscores an important lesson: the skills I learned during my time in the Boy Scouts of America followed me well into my professional career and beyond.
Diego addressing University of Scouting 2016, Iona Prep NY
The value of Scouting
Until that time, I was not aware of the real value of participating in Boy Scouts when I was a young boy, but there I was: a bona fide city boy, and those recreational activities were coming in extremely handy for me. I remembered loving the camping trips during Boy Scouts.
I wouldn’t have been able to venture out of the city and into the woods if it wasn’t for the volunteers that picked me up at my house all those years ago. My parents worked very long, hard hours just to make sure we had food, so it was difficult for them to do these kinds of adventuresome activities.
The Boy Scout volunteers, as well as my fellow scouts, strived to help me become the individual I’m today. They truly made a difference in my life.
Owing a lot to Scouting
The scouts who helped me begin my journey as a Boy Scout also helped form the man I would later become.
In particular, when I reached age of 15, I became involved in many extracurricular activities and sports and these engagements filled up my calendar and also helped me deal with many pressures that typically face teenagers.
I started to grow as an individual and a young man, but with guidance from my parents I also understood the value of scouting. I continued down that path and later became an Eagle Scout, which has opened many doors.
Scouting truly modeled me as a leader, and consequently has contribute to my success and service to our country.
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