It was still early morning. Dew clung to the grass and transferred to our boots as we made our way to the challenge course. We marched solemnly forward, packs on back, and single file. The course we were to use consisted of two lanes with three challenges in each lane. We were split into teams of six. Arriving at our first obstacle, we were told we have thirty minutes to complete it. In front of us are two steel tube fences. They are not allowed to be touched, and the area between is off limits. The gaps between bars are just too small to fit our supplies through. The fence is also way too tall to jump over. The only materials we were given to aid us were four logs. While you may never have to get over a fence or improvise a bridge, you will probably face other impossible tasks. The best adjustment you can make is understanding and using the resources around you. Teamwork is essential.
Michigan Tech. Move in day. I had just finished my last shift of work ten hours before, and had spent the entire night driving. It was pouring, I was by myself and only had a paper map printed off Google to guide me. I arrived. I would have been relieved if I wasn’t dead tired and told I had 30 minutes to get all my stuff up to my room. I had never been on campus until that morning. On both of the above counts, I lucked out as a member of the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps [ROTC] program.
The first situation was a part of field training, and the picture with this article shows the nonsense we had to use to get over. During move in day, I was assisted by ROTC cadets who helped me find my dorm, my room, and moved all my stuff, in five minutes. I understand that I’m gushing a bit about ROTC. That is because they are the vessel in which I have found teamwork. Furthermore, the jobs we are training for will involve problems requiring teams. A car isn’t built by a single man or woman. A doctor has nurses; I have an editor. What is more important is that it’s rewarding.
During field training I had been surpassing my own physical limits and achieving better confidence in my abilities and my teammates. Even greater is the feeling of victory I got when completing the task. On move in day, it was just that final moment of getting to lay down. Susan B. Kiehl, in her recent talk here, tried to portray the sense of pride she gained from just being part of the development of the F-35. All these things are obtainable by you. There is a plethora of options for the average student to join. Sports teams, ROTC, clubs and Greek life are all around campus. If none of those are your scene, make your own. Find a cause, any cause, and find others interested in it. To become the next generation’s leaders, we first need to understand and be able to use teamwork.
