Where There Is A Will There's A Way Analysis

Reflecting on Anna Harrington’s “Where There is a Will, There’s a Way” essay brings memories of challenging events I experienced during my career in the U.S. Army (Harrington, 2012). One challenging time requiring resiliency was my attendance and subsequent graduation of the U.S. Army Ranger course. Throughout 20 hour days, 1 meal per day and little recovery time; I often had the opportunity to deliberate on whether this was important enough for all the suffering one had to endure.

While in a particular phase of training in the swamps and rivers in Florida, I injured my right knee and was offered the opportunity to be given a medical recycle or simply quit if I wished. Besides the fact my duty unit had a never quit unless your dead mentality, I had endured harsher environments and injuries while conducting regular training. This mental fortitude requirement equates to Nietzsche’s quote, “That which doesn’t kill me makes me stronger (Nietzsche, 1888). Harsh physical training in elite units is a tool which at times provides the physical resiliency which allowed me to have the fortitude to continue with an injury in the Ranger course. As well, the drive to complete the course despite being hungry, extremely tired with an injury derived from the ability to bounce back from a negative event originated from training conducted daily in the Regiment (Tugade, et al, 2004). …show more content…
One such cultural indoctrination tool is the Ranger Creed. The Creed is taught upon entry to the unit and then recited daily. The stanza that relates specifically to this essay is, “Readily will I display the intestinal fortitude required to fight on to the Ranger objective and complete the mission though I be the lone survivor (Gentry