About eight years ago, a scrawny little kid, we'll call him "Christopher," walked up to the ROTC Instructor at his local High School and said, "Hi, I'm Christopher and I want to be a Navy SEAL!"  Christopher was short and skinny and wore a wrinkled shirt with the buttons fastened wrong.  He had the worst case of bed-head you've ever seen.  And, he could barely even walk straight, let alone run and perform the physical demands of a Navy SEAL.

The ROTC Instructor, we'll call him "Colonel Smith," looked down at messy little Christopher, breathed a deep sigh, and said, "You're kidding me, right?"

When they first met, Christopher was about to enter his Freshman year in High School.  Colonel Smith, who admits he didn't have high hopes for Christopher, told him to sign up for ROTC and he would see him in class.  Sure enough, Christopher signed up.  And, he showed up.  And, despite being a skinny little guy with no apparent coordination or athletic ability, Christopher did everything Colonel Smith told him to do.

He learned how to put on a uniform and he actually managed to get all the buttons lined up.  He learned how to march and salute and spin a rifle.  He learned respect for authority and flag etiquette and citizenship and manners.  He learned that the harder he worked, the better cadet he would become.  And, after working at it day in and day out for four solid years of High School, Christopher became a solid leader, a buttoned down Cadet, and an above average athlete

Christopher and Colonel Smith became very good friends.  Colonel Smith mentored and developed Christopher and admired his dedication and passion.  In fact, Christopher was so dedicated to developing his skill on par with his talent that Colonel Smith actually let Christopher work out with him, the only time he had ever done that for a Cadet in all his years working with ROTC.  As a result, Christoper was in top physical condition at the end of his time in the Cadet Corps.

When he graduated from High School, Christopher reminded Colonel Smith that he wanted to be a Navy SEAL.  By this time, Colonel Smith was somewhat less skeptical.  So, he encouraged Christopher to enlist in the Navy.  And, after he graduated from Basic Training, Colonel Smith helped him navigate the extremely competitive Navy SEAL selection process.  

The Sea, Air and Land (SEAL) Teams are the Navy's principal special operations force.  Navy SEALs are trained for, and have been deployed to, a wide variety of missions, including special reconnaissance operations, hostage rescue, counter-terrorism, and other extremely difficult and demanding missions.

To make an incredibly long story slightly shorter, we will fast forward a few years and tell you that Christopher was eventually selected to attend SEAL Training, something only the most elite and admired members of the Navy can claim.  The drop out rate for a typical SEAL class is 75-80% of all those who begin.  It is generally acknowledged to be the most rigorous and difficult training of any special operations program in the world.

When he shipped off to SEAL Training, Colonel Smith told him, "Christopher, whatever you do, don't you ring that damned bell.  You're better than that."  Colonel Smith was referring to voluntarily dropping out of training when it becomes too difficult.  The SEALs call it "DOR."  Drop on request.  Clearly, with a 75-80% drop out rate, there are plenty of men in each SEAL class who do "ring the bell."

But, not Christopher.  He didn't ring the bell.  In fact, a few weeks ago, Colonel Smith flew to San Diego with Christopher's family to attend Christopher's graduation from SEAL Training.  And, today, that scrawny little kid who walked into Colonel Smith's class almost eight years ago is now a full-fledged member of the most elite special operations force in the world.

So, congratulations, Christopher!  We salute your accomplishment.  And, we admire your commitment to work hard every day to attain a goal you set so long ago.  You are a person who doesn't give up.  You do whatever it takes.  Thank you for being a perfect example of a guy who refused to have the Rudy Syndrome.

And, to Colonel Smith, thanks for shepherding Christopher to greatness over so many years.  You are an example of what we can all do when we spend time developing others.