Trust: The First Step to Influencing by mia maguire
Pictured: Second Lieutenant Paige Young along with her fellow soliders in Iraq. Date
In the military, trust is important for every aspect of being successful. It is just the first step of influencing others, making it possible to motivate groups of people and in the military, complete missions. Between the men and women of the military, trust and respect for one another is something they build from the ground up. As a female in any branch, gaining respect is a concept that has to be worked towards.
Young grew up in an Army home and wanted to serve her country her entire life following in her father’s footsteps. During highschool she was a part of JROTC along with other female students. “He [her father] encouraged me as long as I was an officer and went to school first,” said Young. Because of these factors she grew confidence in her capabilities.
Trust: Defined by the Webster deployed in Iraq, she “She told me to walk around with a knife in my boot, While Dictionary as an assured reliwas an officer. “I was 21 and in not because of the people we were fighting, but ance on the character, ability, charge of 60 dudes, overseas, strength or truth of someone because of the men that I was working with and it making their training plans, or something. It is something making sure they were safe, blew my mind,” said Young. that makes up every part of our like everything I was in charge lives, makes it possible to build of. It was a rude awakening.” bonds, relationships and have But being outnumbered by confidence in yourself. In the men did not seem to have military, trust is something that could mean life or death. much of an effect on Young. “I think it made me a lot more confident. Just having that comradery, it’s crazy … I do not know According to Page Young, Captain in the US Army National what I would do without that part of my life, it has really shaped Guard, “It is the most crucial part of the military.” Young went who I am,” said Young. to the University of Louisville where she got her ROTC scholarship. She went straight from college to her first deployment in With Young being around so many men, it was easy for her to Iraq in 2011 and has been serving in the military since. “If you pick out women she looked up to. Some words of advice she redon’t have trust and you don’t trust the people in charge of you, ceived from a female captain made her realize she was a little unthe people below you, it’s toxic. It can change everything. . . And prepared for her deployment. “I am like ‘Oh my God, she is so it’s quick, it can happen very quickly, like one lie, one embellishcool, I want to be like her’ and the one thing that she told me… ment, one training disaster, any misuse of trust or fraternization is when you are over there you have to watch your back from or anything like that can impact the unit like crazy. It can make these men. And I’m like, ‘What are you talking about’ because I stuff, just like, stop,” said Young. still had this like ‘Ah, I love this’ ... I don’t want to say in denial 27
