A Father’s Reflection on Leadership, Legacy, and the Bright Future of the U.S. Army
In April 2025, I made a 2,400-mile round-trip drive from Sacramento to Laramie, Wyoming, stopping in Guernsey for a weekend I’ll never forget. I was there to spend a few days with my son Ryan, a senior in the University of Wyoming’s Army ROTC program, as he and his fellow seniors ran their culminating training event—the Joint Field Training Exercise (JFTX). What made it so significant wasn’t just that it marked the end of their time as cadets, but that they were fully responsible for planning, resourcing, and executing the entire training operation. This wasn’t a scripted drill handed down from above—it was a live, student-led operation, built from the ground up by the people running it.
But what I witnessed over those four days was much more than a personal milestone. It was a powerful glimpse into the next generation of Army officers, and it left me not only proud as a father but hopeful as an American.
The Road to Guernsey
Long before I arrived at Camp Guernsey, I had already begun to feel the weight of what this trip meant. The drive out took me through snow-dusted mountains, desolate stretches of Nevada desert, and into the red cliffs and open skies of Utah and Wyoming. Every turn seemed to echo the history of this country—from the Oregon Trail ruts near Guernsey to the sandstone cliffs of Echo Canyon that once guided westward-bound settlers. It felt right that something so timeless and rooted would be the setting for a new chapter in Ryan’s life.
Camp Guernsey: Training Ground for Future Leaders
Camp Guernsey Joint Training Center is an expansive, 78,000-acre facility with multiple training zones: live-fire artillery ranges, land navigation courses, obstacle fields, and an airfield capable of handling C-17s. It’s the kind of place designed to push cadets past their limits—not just physically, but mentally and emotionally.
The Field Training Exercise Ryan participated in is a long-standing joint event between the University of Wyoming and Colorado State University. While this annual event is unique in its scale and collaboration, it’s important to understand that every ROTC program nationwide is designed to be cadet-led. Events like this one are not just opportunities for cadets to train—they are built, resourced, and executed by the seniors themselves.
Ryan and his peers spent countless hours leading up to this weekend learning and applying concepts like training management, prioritizing objectives, and planning for short-term, mid-term, and long-term training goals. This JFTX wasn’t just a culminating experience for the underclassmen—it was the senior cadets’ capstone assignment. And they did an outstanding job from start to finish.
On arrival, cadets were flown in by UH-60 Blackhawks, a first for the event thanks to the Wyoming National Guard. From there, the intensity never let up. Gear was inspected, platoons were formed, and a Tactical Operations Center (TOC) was established. Over the next three days, cadets rotated through five missions, each one testing leadership, teamwork, and decision-making. Juniors were placed in rotating leadership roles—squad leader, platoon sergeant, platoon leader—and evaluated based on the Army Leadership Requirements Model.
At one point, temperatures surged to 85 degrees—a rare spring spike that prompted the seniors and cadre to proactively adjust the training plan to mitigate risk. I watched as they issued jerry cans full of Gatorade and made other real-time decisions to keep the cadets hydrated and safe. While I initially thought I was witnessing heat-related injuries, I later learned the actual incidents included a hip injury and four knee-related injuries—each managed quickly and professionally by the team on site.
The final challenge was land navigation, a course designed by Ryan and CDT McDonald. Cadets had five hours to locate four points during the day, and four hours at night to find three more. No GPS. Just a compass, a map, a pace count, and an unwavering focus. It was physically grueling and mentally demanding—by design.
Watching My Son in His Element
Seeing Ryan in this setting, I was moved in a way I didn’t expect. He stood tall, clear-headed, and in control. Confident, but never commanding attention for the sake of it. One particular moment stays with me: a younger cadet returned to the TOC frustrated after failing to find a single land nav point. I watched Ryan calmly pull them aside, speak to them quietly, and help them regroup. It turned out the cadet’s compass had been miscalibrated—an important lesson in verifying your gear—but what stood out wasn’t the technical correction. It was the way Ryan led with empathy, not ego.
I’ve seen him on the football field, in the gym, at family dinners. But here? I saw him as the man he’s become. That kind of quiet, steady leadership doesn’t show up overnight. It’s built. And it’s earned.
Mentoring the Next Shooter
Throughout the weekend, I had a shadow of my own—Louis, the battalion’s Public Affairs Officer (PAO). He was assigned to stay with me and soak up whatever he could. And he did. I showed him how to work with off-camera flash, use natural light to shape emotion, and edit creatively using just an iPhone and the Tintype app. The cadets were thrilled with the portraits we made—images that made them feel strong, proud, and seen. And Louis? He got inspired. I saw it happen in real time.
I brought my Nikon Z9 with a 70–200mm lens and my Z8 with a 24–70mm. Both were set to medium RAW, auto ISO, and daylight white balance. I bracketed exposures for group shots and worked quickly under unpredictable conditions. Time was tight. Lighting changed by the minute. But like everything else that weekend, the challenge was part of the reward.
Leadership That Leaves an Impact
One of the most meaningful parts of the weekend was the time I spent riding to and from the site with Lieutenant Colonel Paul W. Hanson, the Professor of Military Science at the University of Wyoming. LTC Hanson oversees the entire ROTC capstone program—the training, the commissioning, the academic interface with the university.
He’s also a seasoned Army officer, with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and experience advising at the Pentagon. But more than his credentials, what struck me was his character. He spoke with clarity, conviction, and genuine care for these cadets. He sees the mission behind the mission: not just to prepare soldiers, but to build leaders of integrity and resilience.
He told me that having me there for the FTX was the best decision he made this year. That meant a lot. And I believe he meant it.
A Personal Testament
Photography has never been an easy road. The highs are incredible. The lows can be brutal. But it’s given me the one thing I value most—presence. I’ve coached my kids, cheered for them, mentored them, and stood beside them with a camera in hand. And because of the life I chose, I was able to be here—to watch my son step fully into the role he’s been working toward, and to see with my own eyes how ready he is.
I’ve always tried to stay involved in my kids’ lives without becoming overbearing. My wife worried early on that, as a former athlete, I’d bring that same intensity into fatherhood. Maybe she wasn’t wrong to worry. But I’ve done my best to walk that line—to support, not push; to guide, not pressure.
This weekend confirmed I did something right.
The Future is Bright
As I made the long drive back to Sacramento—1,050 miles of empty road and full reflection—I couldn’t help but feel something deeper than pride. I felt hope.
These cadets—their dedication, their adaptability, their leadership under pressure—represent everything we want to see in the future of the Army. And under the guidance of leaders like LTC Hanson, they’re being shaped the right way.
If you’re wondering what kind of young people are preparing to lead this country, or what kind of program is molding them, I’d encourage you to look at the University of Wyoming’s Cowboy Battalion. What they’re doing isn’t just a training exercise. It’s legacy work. And I’m honored to have witnessed it.
