A strange thing happened this year. A woman earned the right to wear the coveted US Army Green Beret. Wow – talk about a badass. Becoming a Green Beret is extremely difficult. Ask any Special Forces qualified person and they will tell you that the road to the finish line is both long and difficult. At one point in my own Army career, I seriously considered training to become a Green Beret. I decided not to pursue it – too difficult. Back then, the thought of a woman becoming a Green Beret was an absurd idea. Nowadays, we should not be surprised that pioneering women continue to break through glass ceilings and achieve amazing results.
Anyone can be a badass
A few years ago, several women completed US Army Ranger School successfully. They earned the coveted Army Ranger tab. The pundits said this would never happen…never. The reasons provided were many, but are best summed up in a single sentence…women are not strong enough to become a ranger. Well, the doubters were wrong. Anyone can be a badass.
I attended US Army Ranger School many years ago
I can tell you it is tough. In fact, it is the hardest thing I have ever completed in my lifetime. You experience both food and sleep deprivation. The days are long and hard, and you are asked to push yourself further than you can imagine. So, how in the world did women complete the course? It was simple. They stayed strong, both mentally and physically, and did not ask for special treatment. They lived out the third stanza of the Ranger creed.
You can become a badass
Learn an important lesson from these women. You are better than you realize and can go further than you think. The question is whether or not you are willing to push yourself. I encourage you to be a badass. The reward is worth the effort. Now move out, and get after it.
Never shall I fail my comrades. I will always keep myself mentally alert, physically strong and morally straight and I will shoulder more than my share of the task whatever it may be, one-hundred-percent, and then some.
Third stanza of the US Army Ranger Creed
I am Doug Keating and this is my letter to sons.