Becoming a Soldier and an Army officer requires strength.

ROTC and becoming an officer is not an easy commitment to make. It requires sacrifice and hard work. The strength you build through training requires you to set your feelings aside and work to accomplish the mission.

Freshman year I learned that no one holds your hand through this process. Though they may bolster your strength, neither your comrades nor your leaders will be able to pull you through everything. At times, you’ve got to dig deeper and find your own strength to endure and complete the mission.

You’ve got to develop thick skin. Your Soldiers expect you to be tough and to keep your good humor even when conditions are poor. Being a Soldier requires more than physical strength. It requires emotional and mental strength. You have to look at the whole picture, and keep involved in your Soldiers’ lives.

As a leader, you’re responsible for all they do and fail to do. Lack of attention to detail or tolerance for poor-quality work may encourage your Soldiers to accept less than their best. You must always seek perfection.

As a new lieutenant, I’ll have to look to NCOs for guidance and information on how to best lead troops. These NCOs know their people and how to best lead them. Their views are especially invaluable for junior officers new to command.

I look forward to my commissioning in May, and I hope I can continue to prepare to lead America’s most precious resource, her sons and daughters.