S Keys Photography

Every summer a select group of warriors comes together to spend a week at COLS. Their average ages are 15-17. They come in every size and every color. Young men and young women. The one thing they all have in common... all are members of Air Force Junior ROTC. For most they come not really knowing what to expect. They come excited, but with a little trepidation. Do they have what it takes to make it to the end? For those that have come before and now come for a second time, they are ready for the challenge. They KNOW what it takes and welcome it.

What is COLS? Cadet Officer Leadership School. For one week these young cadets come together and are placed with complete strangers. They are broken down into Flights and must learn to work together as a team, a unit. There're no individuals here, there's only teamwork. They learn to bond.

COLS is not for the feint of heart. You MUST have heart if you hope to survive. And courage. Discipline. Perserverence. Compassion. It takes the will to take one more step when you think you can't to make it to the end. It takes heart ... it takes soul.

4:00 a.m. reveille. 2 minutes to get outside. 1.5 hours of P.T. 1.5 hours of drill. Then breakfast. Land survival. Water survival. Trips to Ft. Bragg for rapelling from a 65' wall. Obstacle course. Running. Running. Running. Drill. Drill. Drill. Jody's. Inspections. Dirt. Sweat. Deyhradation. Sleeping in the woods without letting your campfire die out. Building rope bridges. Running - 5 miles. Drill. Bug bites. Sunburn. Bruises. Blisters. Cuts. Cramps. Sore muscles. 4:00 a.m. reveille. Bandaides and Ben Gay. Day in, day out. Lights out 9:15 p.m. This is COLS. It ain't for sissys.

If you think I exaggerate, ask any of these fine young cadets. They all survived. They all graduated. They are Warriors and Winners. My son, Ryan, is amoung them. We are so very proud of him. For him, this was a big deal. For him, this did not come easy. And he is beyond proud to have made it to the end. To be able to graduate with this year's COLS class. To have formed a brotherhood that will last for years to come. To have tested himself and pushed himself beyond anything he thought he was capable of. To have finished. He is a far better young man because of COLS. He loved it and will treasure the memories forever.