I’m an Eagle Scout from Troop 96 in Grayslake. Right now, I’m a lieutenant colonel in the Marines, deployed to Qatar and flying the UC-35D Citation Encore VIP transport jet. Outside of the military, I’m a first officer flying a Boeing 737 for American Airlines.

Scouting prepared me for life by providing leadership and command structure. The value system is powerful—I revisit the Scout Law in evaluating my own actions at least weekly. In Scouting, I learned to face a review board confidently, and I’ve had to do it many times since.

Some of my fondest memories of Scouting are playing sentry at Camp Crown, watching Mr. Parkinson’s reaction to the gumbo I cooked full of crawfish, seeing the huge Order of the Arrow fire at Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan, spelunking at the Maquoketa Caves in Iowa, and hiking up the Tooth of Time early in the morning at Philmont. 

Only now am I able to comprehend the deep sacrifices that leaders like Mr. Klemens made in their commitment to the troop. It is truly a service to the future of our country.

A lot of youths choose sports over Scouting. I say there is a happy medium, because both offer different types of value. In Scouts, you can get out of the urban environment and realize your potential.