Hanging Up My Army Uniform to be a High School Teacher - Paul Yingling, Washington Post.
I’m a colonel in the U.S. Army, and next summer I will retire to teach high school social studies. My friends think I’m crazy, and they may have a point…
Comments
I just want to write here…
I just want to write here about how damn difficult it is warfare is my job and I love it, but I had no idea there would be so much math involved. Thank goodness now at least I have https://ohhaskme.com in my life, a site that is slowly instilling in me a love of math. But before that was just a nightmare for me. Hopefully, after a while I will be able to stop stressing about it.
Congratulations on your coming promotion to civilian. I met you once in a chow hall in Baghdad and have been a perpetuator of your "Generalship" article. I have found a way to weave it into every leadership forum and school I've attended (military and ACS) since it came out and first made waves.
Your decision to teach makes the most sense of many you could have chosen. Keep us in mind if you ever want guest speakers.
I hope I have the intestinal fortitude to retire right when I make 0-6, forego a modest amount of pension, and pursue my lifelong dream. Unlike COL Yingling though, I plan to live in Africa, and work in the field to once and for all eradicate Guinea Worm Infection , commonly known to epidemiologists as Dracunculiasis. It is only endemic in three countries now, but hopefully before I am done, it will be wiped from the face of the earth forever.
Yes, many people wonder why I would want to live in Third World backwaters during my golden years, saving people I do not even know, especially poor people. When I discuss my plan with friends and family, many ask me why I do not just buckle down and write the screenplay about vampires in Afghanistan I always talk about, or travel to Nashville and record a country western album; my wife wants me to be a contractor and teach deployed units how to conduct COIN more effectively, there is a lot of money in that, and it is almost impossible to be held accountable for anything regardless of how well or poorly the units perform.
Sure, I could do much, much, much more, but if I do not help eradicate the guinea worm, who will? So look out guinea worm, and watch for my Op Ed in the Washington Times or the Washington Examiner in a few years.
Unless of course I get picked up for Brigade Command on the next board, I would not pass that up for the world.
I agree that it is a wonderful decision by an outstanding officer and I certainly think he is showing copious amounts of sanity by walking away. The sad thing is that it is the nuts that stay around and drive people like him, who we need to make this a better institution, away.
Nonetheless, he gave it his all, trying to serve his country rather than himself, and decided to stop butting his head against a wall and make a difference elsewhere while he is still sane. I think more and more are going to make the same decision, especially as more of their comrades are headed home and out of harm's way.
My father was a high school history teacher and football coach: I grew up in a family where education was a way of life.
I commend Colonel Paul Yingling for this wonderful decision on his part to become a high school teacher. The friends of his who thought he was nuts for doing so, well, I would humbly add that they are the ones who are nuts.
What a perfect way for retiring veterans with vasts amounts of experience to serve the common weal. I wish more retiring generals did such things by becoming teachers, school prinicples, etc.
Mostly though I congratulate my friend Paul Yingling on an excellent career in hard service to the nation. Well done Paul, and best of luck to you and your family in the future.
very respectfully
gian
Looks like Col Yingling decided it is time to grow up and walk away from a collection of people who won't. I just posted on a similar topic at my blog, prompting a few comments: http://peterjmunson.blogspot.com/2011/12/growing-up.html