Do'er or Watcher?

In the military, there are both kinds, the do'ers and the watchers. The do'er is the one that has learned how things should be done, when to do them, and then gets the task completed.  They are the teachers, or instructors. The watchers are the ones that don't know these things yet, and are learning. They are the students, or trainees. The goal of every do'er in the military is to turn the watchers into do'ers. They do not have time to babysit any individual in the field, or during critical times. These trainees must learn well and learn quickly. If you're still a watcher after your training is complete, then you may not be in the military very long. The military wants do'ers. I have personally seen or trained many watchers, many of who came into the military being a watcher their whole lives, turn into do'ers. It's very surprising even to them sometimes. They are instilled with a new confidence and trust they may not have had on the outside. Many stood back in life, not wanting the responsibility, or not being given the chance to excel on their own. They learned bad habits. The military gives you very few choices. Learn to stand on your own two feet, or get out. The discipline you are given in basic training stays with you. You start to realize that nobody is going to second guess you or always question your ability to do anything. You are treated just like everyone else, no exceptions. This is a new concept to many young people. Many of them have very little to no self confidence. Now you become a new person, no different than the one next to you. Equal in the eyes of the military. Now your personal gifts and training will start to show through. As you learn your skill, your confidence in both yourself and your job will grow immensely. In other words, we turn lost children into thriving adults. Whether you decide to stay in or get out to pursue work, you will have changed. You will be changed. You will exude confidence and ability you may not have had before. And you are no longer a watcher. YOU are a DO'ER!

I have talked with many parents over the years I was in the military. It was the same story many, many times. Their son or daughter decided to join the military. Sometimes against the wishes of the parents. The parents are scared for them. Naturally, they may be put in harm's way. Many of them went in as scared kids, not knowing what to expect, or really knowing if it was right for them. Many joined to get to go to college. Many kids could not afford to go else wise. Many of them had very little to no job experience, and their future was pretty shaky. But I have seen so many times the reaction of the parents when the child comes home on their first visit after joining. Looking sharp in their uniform, tidy and clean, confidence oozing out of them. They are completely changed, and the parents can't stop talking about it. Their manner is different, they are instilled with discipline, and they talk with respect. I think everybody needs a little bit of that. Their new picture in uniform goes on the wall or the mantle. The parents are very proud of them. They want to show everyone that picture. They want to take their son or daughter out for dinner, so everybody can see them in uniform, looking good.
Many of them will serve overseas, some in bad locations. Most of them will come home safely. Some will not. But if they are lost (I pray not) in battle or by whatever means takes them, they will be heroes. They will not have died living a meaningless life. They will have stood for something. They will always be cherished. Both by their families and friends, and by the military community. They will be remembered always as do'ers! They went and DID something with their lives! They have long since stopped being watchers. Watching their lives go by, accomplishing very little. These are the young ones who are now the teachers of others.

Of course I have to mention the group of people, like myself, who did not join early, and may have had numerous jobs before joining. I had, maybe, five different jobs before going in. Each job was ok, but it did not give me any satisfaction, or any real career. I tried hard to make it on the outside, as many do, but couldn't go to college (no money), couldn't get real quality training, or couldn't progress far. This group had work experience, and were not new to that world. Many saw their lives going nowhere fast. Like me, I didn't see any bright future. I took a chance to do something different, as many do. We didn't know it at the time, but we learned very quickly, that we were still actually watchers. We were watching for opportunity. We were watching for a chance to explore the world outside our own little nest. To experience things that most people never will in their lifetime. We were just waiting to become do'ers.
By the simple term "do'er", you may think that I mean we get things done. Correct. But it is much, much more than that. It is a mental state where you are ready to tackle anything that comes at you. When life throws you a curve ball, and it will, you will be ready to handle it. You will not shy away from doing things that most people will not attempt. You won't run from a task simply because you've never "done it before". The words "I can't do that" don't come out of your mouth very often. When an incident happens in the real world, and their is a crowd of people around asking what should be done, and then someone points out that there is a military person in the group, why does that make any difference? They automatically look up to and trust that individual to know wht can be done and how to do it. It's because they have the discipline and the training. But it's mostly because they know this military member will not "run away" from responsibility. They will, "99 times out of a 100", jump right in and do what they can as fast as they can. They may be only 19 or 20 years old, but people twice their age will look to them for guidance. Why? Is it the uniform, or the haircut? What if they're not in uniform? How can you tell? It's bearing! It's the way they hold themselves; how they walk, how they talk. Their discipline and training can be SEEN and FELT!
It's always been a matter of pride with me when I see a young military person talking with an older individual, and I hear the words, "Yes sir! and Yes Ma'am! coming from them. When do you see or hear that with most young people today? Almost never. There is no courtesy or respect from them. They are lost and don't even know it. So when you see a service man or woman, be kind, say hello, and get a nice, respectful reply back from them. It will make your day and theirs!