This officer, the 3rd woman to graduate Ranger School, discusses how respect can be earned
Lisa Jaster
A discussion about respect by Lt. Col. (Reserve) Lisa A. Jaster, 980th EN BN commander. Jaster is one of three women and the first reservist to graduate from the initial integrated Ranger School course in 2015. She likes to emphasize that graduating from Ranger School was an accomplishment but doesn’t view earning the Ranger Tab as her life’s crowning achievement. Being a citizen-soldier requires daily work in mind, body, and spirit. Respect is earned, never given.
As I write this, my 8-year-old daughter is competing in jiu-jitsu tournament while my 12-year-old son participates in a robotics competition. At the end of the day, both will walk into their respective rooms, or not, and hang their medals on racks that read “Always Earned, Never Given.†Respect is earned in one of two ways. The first is accomplishing something that few others can do such as winning a Nobel Prize or an Olympic medal. But for the vast majority of us, respect is earned through consistent excellence and small, but meaningful, achievements over great periods of time. But, no matter how you gain respect, you can always lose it.
https://www.militarytimes.com/opinion/commentary/2020/12/18/this-officer-the-3rd-woman-to-graduate-ranger-school-discusses-how-respect-can-be-earned/
