FORT RUCKER, Ala. -- Standing in front of their peers and Families, three Scouts took the next step in their life journeys April 30 at the U.S. Army Aviation Museum.
Austin Parsons, Patrick Johnson and Cole Robinson have been friends since they began participating in Cub Scouts and are now Fort Rucker Troop 50's newest Eagle Scouts.
Normally, each new Eagle Scout is promoted during an individual ceremony, but the three friends made the decision to finish the journey they started the same way it began - together.
"We started in Troop 50 around the same time and we decided while we were going through the Eagle Scout process that we'd go through the ceremony at the same time, too," Parsons said.
Each of the Scouts had to perform a final "project" before they could achieve the rank of Eagle Scout.
Parsons' project was to prepare a concrete platform for an AH-56 Cheyenne to be placed at the museum, Johnson reconditioned and cleaned up "C" trail at Parcours Lake, and Robinson cleaned and trimmed around the old training area behind the post exchange.
Each said achieving the rank of Eagle Scout was important to them for different reasons, but they all feel it comes with a higher level of responsibility.
"It's all about dedication and working even harder," Parsons said. "It's a lot of work, but in the end it's all worth it."
Johnson said he plans to stay with Troop 50 and help other Scouts achieve the rank of Eagle, while Robinson said he is going to pursue becoming a youth pastor in college, but thinks being an Eagle Scout will help him in achieving his goals and mentoring others.
Master Sgt. Michael McGee, Troop 50 Scout master, said the three Scouts showed a lot of character in their journey to becoming Eagle Scouts, and he thinks each will be successful going forward in their careers and lives.
"These three are unique because they've gone through all of this together," he said. "This is the first time I've ever done a ceremony where there was more than one Scout moving up to Eagle. It's very satisfying and an honor to be here with these guys. I've worked with them for five years now and seeing them stick with it is a great feeling."
McGee has been involved with Scouting since he was in elementary school and said it has become a Family tradition he hopes will continue.
"I'll be leaving here soon, but I'm going to be involved with the Boy Scout troop at my next post," he said. "My dad was heavily involved with it when I was a kid and now my sons are going through it."
During the ceremony, each of the three Scouts were joined by their parents who pinned their Eagle Scout badges on them and presented them with their Eagle Scout plaques, commemorating their achievements.
Social Sharing