VMI Rules!

I took this during the Military Classic of the South at VMI this weekend. It was the first time I had been back to the “I” since I graduated. While I did get to try out my new Sony Cybershot digital camera, the main purpose of the visit was to catch up with my friends and classmates.

My classmates have all been deployed somewhere, and it was great to hear their war stories. I had two main observations from this:

1. We have had a generation of young Americans whose formative experience has been in a protracted war; and
2. Most of my friends are getting out of the military.

The interesting thing is that people are complaining more about the “system” than they are the deployments or the actual fighting of the wars overseas. By the “system”, I mean “big” Army, Navy, Air Force, etc. It is unfortunate that gripes against the military personnel system, or the way things are done in specific units, or the command climate, are leading to a mass exodus of young captains rather than pressure from deployments or shock from war fighting.

But doom and gloom usually gives way to optimism, especially in the early quarters of a VMI football game: America is gaining a generation of young Americans who understand the culture and environment of our planet much better than previous ones. This generation understands concepts like honor, sacrifice, courage, and most importantly –teamwork. For all the talk about how the youth of the nation being navel gazing, latte and iPod consuming louts, I have hope.

November 20, 2007 06:43 AM VMI

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Comments

gawd that score made me want to cry.

70 points! We must have got the Rockbridge County JV team to come in and play defense for us. Blaaaaah.

So... you officially back now or what?

John · November 20, 2007 07:44 AM

Welcome back! Now, start posting.

LtCol P · November 20, 2007 09:31 AM

BTW, what on earth is a classmate? How about a BR?? :-)

LtCol P · November 20, 2007 09:32 AM

Wow, that's a really nice scoreboard. I especially like the score. Look on the bright side. You outscored us 9-7 from the time that pic was taken. That's something to carry into next season with you. Too bad you guys declined our offer to play again next year -- and the year after that.

CitadelGrad · November 21, 2007 10:28 PM