Small Wars Journal

What I Wish I Knew: From Cadet to Lieutenant in Afghanistan

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Sat, 04/05/2014 - 9:01pm

What I Wish I Knew: From Cadet to Lieutenant in Afghanistan by 1st Lieutenant Scott Ginther, War Council

FOB SHANK, LOGAR PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN

After ardently attempting once to write an essay on “what I know now that I wish I knew then,” I realized that writing even just a two or three paged paper is something cadets do not want to read.  This being said, when I was posed with this task I swore I would do three things: 1) provide an honest answer, 2) express the truth in the most unvarnished way possible, and 3) keep things short.  Therefore, I have decided to make a list that cadets can squeeze in between their class and sports demands, and their beloved naps and “Not Being At West Point” time…

Read on.

Comments

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XavierHaly

Mon, 09/19/2022 - 9:06am

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The day after I graduated from West Point, my father came down to visit me. He had always wanted me to go into the military, but my mother had been against it because she thought that I would be too much of a risk if anything happened to me and she need to know how to write marketing CV to apply for a job. Now that I was an officer, she was starting to change her mind about that. My father congratulated me on becoming an officer and told me how proud he was of me. Then he gave me a hug and said good bye.

Mark Adams

Tue, 04/08/2014 - 8:53am

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David, if he didn't know any of this stuff - the 20 points he lists - when he took up his first command as a newly commissioned 2Lt then serious questions must be asked about his training.

davidbfpo

Mon, 04/07/2014 - 10:23am

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A comment by FP Blog's author: If you don't know anything about the military - or even if you do - you should read this bit by a lieutenant in Afghanistan on the War Council blog.