This year, the United States military will turn 250 years old. During those 250 years, the United States has seen many conflicts and has had many different experiences. Through the fields, mountains, sandy beaches, thick forests, and barren deserts, our servicemen and servicewomen have set the standard of unselfish service, commitment, and bravery. However, the military is not all about combat. It is also about leadership, resilience, the bonds we share with others, and achieving something greater than oneself. The Order of the Arrow has many of the same qualities of leadership, brotherhood, and service. Just as the military builds discipline and honor, the OA builds young leaders through service and teamwork. Let us look at how four servicemen used the principles and skills they learned from Scouting in their military career.
Nick Burney is a command sergeant major (CSM) E9, which is the highest in the enlisted ranks and has been proudly serving for twenty-six and a half years. Nick joined the military as a delayed entry when he enlisted in the middle of his senior year of high school. He always wanted to be GI Joe and took the opportunity to join as soon as he could. He went to bootcamp in September of 1998 and never looked back, eventually working his way to become a sergeant major. While in the military, Nick has received a Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal to name a few. He also completed many trainings including Air Assault School and Cadre Training Course, among others. Currently, he serves as the CSM of the 164th Theater Airfield Operations Group. Nick got involved in Scouting when his oldest son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten and wanted to join his local Cub Scout pack. Nick began volunteering as much as he could, even through multiple moves across the country. Nick first got involved when he was recruited by other leaders while stationed in Virginia. He and his son were then elected and started participating in events together. Nick’s favorite part about the OA is the brotherhood and the ability to teach future generations to become productive citizens.
Nick has been able to use what he has learned as an adult volunteer with scouts in his military career. Nick has applied several Scout skills with fellow soldiers, including the EDGE method, proper tent setup, and teaching knot-tying in the air assault class. All crew chiefs needed to know to tie knots and word got around quickly that Nick was the one to teach them. Another example of scouting skills transferring to the Army is how Nick used his training in wilderness survival techniques to teach soldiers going through special forces training; how to build shelters and basic cooking methods. Nick feels like the Army taught him patience when working with a new generation of soldiers. This has also helped him with a new generation of Scouts. By listening and talking with the youth, Nick feels like he’s always learning from them just as much as they are learning from him. He feels like they help keep him young and relevant in today's world. Nick currently serves as the district chair, striving to recruit and keep scouting alive in his community. Something that keeps Nick going and motivated are his family and friends, military and scouting. He strives to always be present for them and never let them down. That personal goal has been instrumental to his career. Nick’s words of wisdom to scouters are, “do not be afraid to step outside the norm, go and challenge yourself, and it's ok to go by your own drum beat and [to] keep learning!”
Bennett Monday is a retired chief warrant officer three (CW3) and Army Ranger. He started his Army career in the infantry as a staff sergeant (SSG) before becoming a warrant officer. Prior to that, he attended New Mexico Military Institute until he was accepted to the United States Air Force Academy. After learning more about the Army, Bennett quickly changed his path from Air Force and joined the Army in 2001. While in the Army, Bennett attended basic training, Airborne school, and the Ranger Indoctrination Program to become an Army Ranger. After he graduated, he joined the 1st Ranger Battalion stationed in Savannah, Georgia. In 2003, he attended the Army's premiere leadership training, Ranger School. Bennett was introduced to scouting when his oldest son, James, signed up as a Tiger Cub. Soon after, his second oldest son, Orion, joined. Although James and Orion were active in scouts, Bennett didn’t get involved due to a hectic deployment and training schedule. In 2017, when he moved back down south to Fort Novosel, Alabama he became involved as an adult leader in pack and troop 50. Since then, Bennett has been able to take on various roles like cub master, den leader, assistant scoutmaster, and is currently the district commissioner. While in the military, Bennett applied many basic scout skills to different aspects of training and military schools. Some of these include: outdoor survival skills, starting fires, and tying knots. One of his favorite things about the program is the brotherhood and seeing other like minded scouters at the various events. “Being able to watch them grow and learn and experience new things is awesome to watch…we also enjoy being able to participate in OA events. It is always a good time [for] fellowship and [to] see genuine people. No matter if it is conclave or a fellowship or helping with an ordeal or going to NOAC or even when we are doing service and helping with the United Way dinner, being able to give back has a great time as well.” One of Bennett's driving forces in scouting is being able to see the scouts grow up. He enjoys seeing young scouts grow and become young adults.
“Being able to watch them apply the things they have learned in scouting to their daily life and watching them obtain the rank of Eagle is something special. The army is very similar, and it is not letting people down. I always wanted to try to be better so that others can be better. As an instructor pilot, I always wanted to make sure everyone was prepared for anything they may face, whether that is with training or survival skills or whatever. For people who want to join the military, pick a career that you are genuinely interested in and something that you enjoy. If you enjoy science and medicine, go and be a medic. Always push to achieve a goal. Do not be Life for life, push the extra step and achieve your Eagle. Set a goal for yourself and work to accomplish it. Push the extra mile.”
Chris Wood is a retired first sergeant (1SG) and served for twenty-four years. Chris was inspired by his uncle who flew helicopters in the army and for the Maryland State Police. Chris knew he wanted to join the army and do one thing, fly helicopters, so he did. In the military, Chris became a crew chief where he had to take on many responsibilities: including troop insertions, sling load operations, repelling, and many other missions. In this role, Chris was responsible for making sure the crew was safe and prepared, coordinating proper equipment placement, and making sure the helicopter was operating safely and effectively.
Chris was introduced to scouting when his oldest son joined in 2001 while they were stationed in Japan. Chris then became the den leader and cubmaster for the pack and has been involved in various ways ever since. Chris currently serves as camp ranger at Heersink Scout Reservation, Camp Alaflo. He said one of his favorite parts of scouting is, “seeing a kid you know become a young adult, and then watching them progress all the way through Cub Scouts to eventually become an Eagle Scout is truly rewarding… since I was scoutmaster for a military troop, it was cool to see my Eagle Scouts in the military. We still keep in touch to this day.”
While in the military, Chris was able to apply skills learned in scouts to his military career and vice versa.
“The basic scout skills help you when you are going into all areas. Sometimes there is nothing for you and you have to go out and basically create everything. Vice versa because, as a non-commissioned officer, I was able to use some of the military leadership classes… train younger scouts. I was able to provide them training and experience and enable them to develop their skills whether that be through NYLT or any other program.”
Chris explained that his favorite part about the OA is that it continues to develop scouts who have shown leadership skills and it helps them grow and facilitate those skills. It is made up of Scouts who want to be there and want to help other people. “The OA builds leaders, and when you have leaders who want to do and help, you get a lot accomplished.” Something that motivated Chris was his own kids. “Being deployed a lot, I was able to do so much with my kids, and it was always something we looked forward to doing together as a family. A prime example is being able to hike up Mount Fuji. Once you got to the top, you could get your hiking stick branded and it would be like a special something for climbing the mountain.” Chris' words for those looking to join the military is to choose something that you are interested in. Choose something that you may be able to do after you retire. If you do that, you will enjoy your time in the service a lot more.”
Charles Ciccarrelli is a chief warrant officer five (CW5) and has been serving for thirty-two years. Charles joined the Army in 1992 and went through basic training in 1993 as a 17 year old. Charles always wanted to fly and debated going to the Air Force, however, flying the Apache helicopter was his dream. Charles first joined as military police and had an absolute blast. After spending his first nine and a half years traveling the world going to places like Cuba, Germany, and Missouri, Charles began to progress in rank quickly and built a resume to fly Apaches. Charles was selected and went to fly Apaches in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Germany. In 2010, Charles began flying fixed-wing aircraft and had flown many different types of airplanes. Now, he travels the world surveying and instructing how to properly prepare airfields.
Charles started his scouting career as a cub scout in 1982-1983 in Duchagne, Utah. He was committed and went all the way through scouting, eventually achieving his Eagle in Payson, Arizona. His troop was very active from hiking the mountains, fly fishing, learning about edible plants, and purifying water. In 1996, Charles joined as an adult leader in Germany. However, it wasn’t until his oldest son first joined Cub Scouts that Charles became heavily involved again with the scouting program, serving as cubmaster for 4 years.
Charles was able to use a lot of his scouting knowledge while in the military. He was able to use wilderness survival skills; like building fires, setting up a camp, and properly making shelters. He was also able to teach other servicemen and women in these techniques to help better prepare them. In the future, Charles wants to continue to get more involved with wilderness training camps. He enjoys the opportunity to teach and train other adults in wilderness survival in Alaska, California, or wherever they may take him. His passion lies in being able to help and train others so that they may go and use those skills. He also enjoys being able to share this knowledge with newer Scouts as he plans to stay involved as much as he can. Charles enjoys the OA because of the leaders it builds. He is able to teach and grow the arrowmen who want to be future leaders. Charles loves his job and what he does, but shares that his next goal is to fly Boeing 747 cargo planes. During the beginning of his career, Charles' driving force was to achieve rank quickly. He wanted to participate in many competitions and strive to be the best possible. Over the years, his motivation has developed from the determination to achieve rank to the determination to be a mentor and help others achieve their goals.
“I enjoyed helping them because, in return, it helped me…I was excited to see them achieve their goals, and as I did that, I obtained rank as well. The military can provide you with so many opportunities that are not available in the civilian world, it’s a different job. It is a great experience, but it is not for everyone. Go and seek experience in your life, chase your dreams and never stop. Always be you.”
