ARLINGTON, Va., July 29, 2010 – The Utah
National Guard's 141st Military Intelligence Battalion will
deploy to Iraq in a few weeks with 83 soldiers who have
earned Eagle Scout badges from the Boy Scouts of America.
“It's easy being a battalion commander of Eagle Scouts,
because you don't have to worry about them,” said Army Lt.
Col. Matt Price, the battalion commander and a scout leader
for his sons, who include three Eagle Scouts. “They have
high values, because they have been taught that as young
men. You can trust them.”
The 286-member unit is in field
training at its pre-mobilization site, Joint Base
Lewis-McChord, Wash.
During a recent meeting with civilian employers,
Price said, he asked all the Eagle Scouts in the
room to stand. Almost half of his unit stood up. So
during the next battalion formation, the Eagle
Scouts were asked to stay behind for a group photo.
That is when they counted off as 83 Eagle Scouts
representing all ranks and many military
occupational specialties. |
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These 83 soldiers with the Utah National Guard's
141st Military Intelligence Battalion have earned
the rank of Eagle Scout from the Boy Scouts of
America. The battalion will deploy to Iraq later
this year.
U.S. Army photo by Sgt. First Class Scott Faddis
|
The unit's senior noncommissioned officer, Army Command
Sgt. Maj. Michael Lofland, is a scout master.
“We feel like [part of the] the scout program,” Price said.
“To me, the Scout Law is similar to Army values.”
Price said he believes Robert Baden Powell, the founder of
Boy Scouts, would be proud of his creation. “We're
celebrating 100 years of Boy Scouting this year, and if he
could look back and see what is going on, he would be quite
happy.”
In Iraq, the battalion will conduct human intelligence
missions with Iraqi security forces. “We will be directly
training and advising them how to do force protection,”
Price said.
Price said he appreciates the uniqueness of his
citizen-soldiers. They are older and college educated, with
more real-world experience as teachers and police officers,
he noted.
“I am bringing a group of community leaders with me to
Iraq,” he said.
Price said his Eagle Scouts also bring additional skills to
the Guard. “The Boy Scout program itself teaches young men
to be men,” he said. “You teach them values. ... You are
teaching them survivability skills. They are used to
camping, and used to roughing it.”
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy
Scouts. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank
has been earned by more than 2 million young men, according
to published reports. The title is held for life.
Between the ages of 12 and 18, a Scout will work to achieve
Eagle rank by earning 12 required merit badges and nine
elective merit badges. He also must demonstrate “Scout
Spirit” through the Boy Scout oath and law and through
community service and leadership, which includes an
extensive service project that the Scout plans, organizes,
leads and manages.
Earning the Eagle Scout's badge was "the only thing I had
done in my life that led me to think that I could make a
difference; that I could be a leader," Defense Secretary
Robert M. Gates told an estimated crowd of 45,000 gathered
on 12,000 acres on Fort A.P. Hill, Va., as part of the
annual National Scout Jamboree yesterday.
"It was the first thing I had done that told me I might be
different, because I had worked harder, was more determined,
more goal-oriented, more persistent than most others," Gates
said.
Price said the key to scouting is service to others.
“To be able to protect yourself and your family but also
look outwards and help others,” he said. “These are
different kinds of soldiers. They look beyond themselves. We
are bringing a higher quality of citizen-soldier with us who
is looking for ways to help other people.” |
