ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Illinois - The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, has produced alumni that have distinguished themselves in a variety of careers, including politics, professional athletics, best-selling authors, and business. However, it is in military service, that The Citadel has distinguished itself the most.
Since it was founded in 1842, 312 Citadel alumni have become generals or admirals in the U.S. military as well as foreign militaries.
One of the men who has reached this position during his Army career is
Maj. Gen. David Wilson, Citadel class of 1991. He currently serves as the commanding general of U.S. Army Sustainment Command at Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois.
Wilson credits a lot of the successes he has had over his 33-year career as a military officer to his choice of college. Like many of his fellow alumni, Wilson still sees the college as the place that he calls home – because it made him the man he is today. Additionally, in the 182-year history of his Alma Mater, Wilson is the first African American graduate to attain the ranks of both brigadier and major general while on active duty.
Like most Citadel graduates, Wilson wears his class ring, known by fellow grads as, “the band of gold”, or “The Ring”, on his right hand.
“This ring is more than a piece of jewelry,” he said, as he looked fondly at it. “This ring is not a consolation prize for surviving four years at the Military College of South Carolina. This ring is an outward sign of a graduate’s inward grace.”
Wilson said that Citadel graduates have ingrained in them a sense of service. “Whether we serve in our homes, our schools, our churches our businesses, or the military,” he said. “Service to our country is a powerful theme that is born out of that leadership laboratory that is called the Military College of South Carolina.”
According to its website, The Citadel was founded to install in its graduates the core values of integrity, honesty, and responsibility, and to be principled leaders and productive citizens.
For Wilson, it did just that.
“The Citadel was a phenomenal path for me,” said Wilson. “The education I got is comparable to that of the Ivy Leagues or West Point.”
He said the thing that sets The Citadel apart from other colleges is the fourth-class system.
According to the school’s training manuals, the system installs new cadets with a sense of humility and selfless subordination by removing wealth and former station as factors in the development of new cadets, while developing personal character and, self-discipline. This creates a foundation for honorable and ethical decision making, as well as instilling the core values of honor, duty and respect.
The fourth-class system officially refers to the military training and structure that freshman or fourth-class cadets, known as “knobs”, are immersed in, as they begin the process of being molded into whole men and women.
The knobs are rebuilt, by throwing them into a system where they must learn to balance the demands of military life and academic life, while at the same time learning to prioritize requirements that range from studying for a test, to making sure your room is ready for inspection, to ensuring the ability to recite information about the school when asked by an upper-class cadet.
While the first year of a cadet is often the most difficult for the cadets, it is also a great equalizer.
“Everyone has the same system,” said Wilson, remarking that his classmates came from different backgrounds and a variety of socioeconomic classes.
“It is the crucible and trials of the fourth-class system that teaches you to strip away the barriers of station, wealth, class and self-concept that transforms young men and women into impactful leaders,” said Wilson.
“The crucible, the trial of the fourth-class system has a way of bringing people together through the shared hardship, he said. “That’s why I like the line in The Cadet Prayer…. ‘and grant to each one of us in his own life a humble heart, a steadfast purpose, a joyful hope, with a readiness to endure hardship and suffer if need be, that truth may prevail upon us, and that thy will may be done on earth.’”
While the rebuilding starts with the fourth-class system, it continues as cadets progress over the next three years and become third-, second- and first-class cadets. Some things get easier for upper class cadets, such as learning time management and knowing the expectations of being a cadet. However, other things get harder. Classes get harder, and many upper-class cadets are given rank within the Corps, that requires time and attention during their day.
Wilson was one of these cadets. After his first year, Wilson served in a variety of leadership positions at the school.
“I ran the remedial PT (physical training) for the kids that were having trouble with the APFT (Army physical fitness test).” He said that they met in front of Murray Barracks every morning and ran sprints and distance runs to build up speed and endurance.
During his final year, he earned the rank of second lieutenant and served as a cadre platoon leader in his cadet company, which meant he was selected to be one of the senior cadets in charge of the incoming knob’s initial military training and introduction to the school.
Wilson grew up in Charleston and did not initially consider The Citadel as a college option. While in high school Wilson played rugby for the Charleston Rugby Club. It was there where he befriended two Citadel cadets, Doug Romano and David Lane, who encouraged Wilson to consider the college.
After graduating from high school, Wilson enlisted in the Army as an infantryman, an served in the South Carolina National Guard. In 1987, he transferred from Wofford College in Spartanburg to The Citadel.
While in high school Wilson played rugby for the Charleston Rugby Club.
It was there where he befriended two Citadel cadets, Doug Romano and David Lane, who encouraged Wilson to consider the college.
Wilson said that listening to his teammates tell stories about the school as they rode to and from matches influenced him to attend.
He was also impressed with the cadets’ desire to give back to their community.
“I watched them volunteer at the high school and contributing back (to the community),” Wilson said.
Wilson arrived at The Citadel in August 1987. Even though he had completed one year of college, Wilson, like all transfers, went through the fourth-class system and graduated four years later.
Even though Wilson was attending a military college he was initially unsure if he wanted to make the Army his profession. Unlike the service academies, Citadel cadets are not required to join the military. Currently about a third of graduates join the armed forces.
“I made the decision in December of 1989, went off to camp summer of 1990, and commissioned in the summer of 1991,” he said.
Throughout his career the desire to give back to the school has been a factor in Wilson’s life.
“Over the years I have helped put in around 29 kids into The Citadel,” said Wilson. Fifteen of those received either active-duty or traditional Green to Gold Scholarships. Of those, three are current cadets at The Citadel, with one on the way this summer.
“There is a proverb that states, ‘if you want to harvest in one year, grow a crop. If you want to harvest in 10 years, grow trees. If you want to harvest that will last a lifetime, grow people,’” said Wilson. “The Citadel grows people.”
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