Perspectives...

As the upcoming school year approaches, I've been thinking about my goals. As soon as I step onto the GMC campus, I'm going to be expected to exceed all of my peers in almost every aspect. This due to the fact that I dominated the standings at LTC (when compared to my fellow GMC cadets) in every category as well as received a stellar eval from my Squad Tactical Officer. Several of my buddies already told me that they are depending on me to get rank, because then I can use some of the priveleges to make their lives a little easier or a little more fun. Never one to back down from a challenge, I've decided to try and lead the GMC Order of Merit List (OML) in every category, as well as achieve the highest staff position I can in my first year. I don't just want to be the best at one thing. I want to be the best at everything. I want people to look at me when I walk around campus and think, "Now that's a freakin' soldier." But I don't want to stop at the numbers. I want to win the respect of all of my peers. I've always led from the front... and I'm not going to stop now. I want to graduate as CO, valedictorian, and whatever else they give out. I'm not going to quit until I'm the best at everything. Some people hear me say that and think that it's about me trying to beat everyone else, but it really has nothing to do with me being better than other people. It's about beating myself. Breaking out of my comfort zone and charging head first to the top. OML and GPA and all of those quantified things are just ways that I measure how far I'm pushing myself. I've also decided that in situations where I'm not the designated leader that I want to be more quiet and lead by example instead of trying to force the situation my way. I think I'll win more respect and piss off less people that way. All these things merely translate into the premise of my time at GMC: to become the best leader of soldiers in the US Army.