I wrote mine for a college entrance essay assignment...
If we were to make a scrapbook of our lives, the hundreds of people that float into and out of our brief existences, and the impact they have on us, would be reflected within the pages. There will be many pages full of group photos, featuring the brief acquaintances and backstabs, but the more significant people in our lives will occupy multiple pages of their own. One of my honored occupants is my squadron commander, Captain Raymond Keasler, CAP.
First impressions mean everything to many people, and that given to the other cadets was not one that I needed. My long hair, jeans, American Eagle shirt, and clogs were contrasted significantly to the BDUs and combat boots surrounding me. My lack of comprehending which way was right and left didn’t do me any good on the drill pad, either. To many, I was seen as someone who would never make it in the squadron, which was almost entirely devoted to hardcore camping and training. Captain Keasler looked past my inexperience and intimidation to see potential and an incredible will to succeed.
As time has passed, my respect and loyalty to Captain Keasler has only grown stronger. There have been activities that left me swearing I would never sleep on the ground again, but he convinced me into going to General Emergency Services training. I am now well on my way to becoming a Ground Team Member. When he requested that I take on the task of training a Color Guard for the Cadet Competitions, the fact that I had never seen a color guard perform, and only five weeks, seemed very insignificant. As an inexperienced Cadet Staff Sergeant, I took on the job of Cadet Commander. A task requiring great patience and almost impeccable leadership skills, as well as the responsibility of training those beneath me, it has been one of the most challenging of my career. However, throughout the experience, Captain Keasler has supported me with every step I have taken.
Captain Keasler is one of the many unsung heroes of the world. He would never appreciate my using him as a topic, for the sole reason of modesty. However, there is no other person to credit the maturity and responsibility I have gained in my life. While there may be times I hear his plans and wonder what has come across him, my loyalty for Captain Raymond Keasler, CAP, has never, and will never, falter.