• How to Listen: Find us on Podbean to stream all of our episodes.
• Our Mission: This podcast aims to share leadership stories from our VMI Corps of Cadets and high-profile leaders who visit the Center for Leadership and Ethics (CLE) and VMI.
  
• Your Hosts: Derek Pinkham, Conference Project Manager and Emily Coleman, Assistant Conference Planner
• Connect with the CLE:

Facebook  Twitter   Instagram  YouTube  LinkedIn

This is a mobile edition of the VMI Leader Journey podcast recorded live in the Green Room of Marshall Hall.

VMI Center for Leadership and Ethics' conference project manager Derek Pinkham and conference assistant Emily Coleman sat down at the beginning of the 2019-20 academic year to talk leadership with Stewart Spurry '20 including his journey to becoming the Rat Disciplinary Committee (RDC) president and his future goals. During this episode, Spurry talks about a tactic unique to VMI called 'the strain.' A strain is when you march very erect with your chin pulled in as far as you can to your neck. It is required of all 'rats' or incoming freshmen. VMI defines it as 'An exaggerated position of attention;' what rats are supposed to do [whenever they walk in barracks] as part of VMI's traditional 'rites of passage' phase until their 'breakout' when they earn the right to being called official members of the VMI Corps of Cadets. We welcome you to view and download the VMI Leader Journey (PDF).

Our Center's mission is to enhance the VMI citizen-soldier journey with programming that educates, engages and inspires critical thinking, ethical decision-making, and leader development. For more information about our Center and its programming, please visit Center for Leadership and Ethics. 

In this episode, we touch on the following leadership competencies of the VMI Leader Journey: responsibility for personal behavior, self-development, mentoring, teamwork, and social responsibility.

TRANSCRIPT for "It's Not About You Anymore"

EMILY COLEMAN: [Music playing in the background] Welcome to the VMI Center for Leadership and Ethics' Leadership Journey Podcast. This podcast aims to share leadership stories from our VMI Corps of Cadets and high-profile leaders who visit the Center for Leadership and Ethics and VMI post.

DEREK PINKHAM: This podcast aims to share leadership stories from our VMI Corps of Cadets and high-profile leaders who visit the Center for Leadership and Ethics and VMI post.

COLEMAN: We are on this journey with you!

PINKHAM: Hello, I am Derek Pinkham

COLEMAN: and I'm Emily Coleman.

PINKHAM: We are your hosts of the podcast.

COLEMAN: Today's guest is Cadet Stewart Spurry, VMI Class of 2020 and the Rat Disciplinary Committee's (RDC) president. Cadet Spurry is a Maryland native and an international studies major. He plans to commission in the Marines upon graduation.

PINKHAM: And without further, we give you Cadet Spurry. [music fades]

STEWART SPURRY '20: Had a good summer. Knocked out OCS [Officer Candidate School], but missed the guys so it was good to get back and see all them. Yeah, just ready to get after it. It was a long... the past couple of years... this is the first two years they've done any training before we left so we're ahead of the game but it's good to get back. It's different being RDC [Rat Disciplinary Committee] because we don't kick off until the end of matriculation week, so we've got an even longer time sitting around watching the rats run around but ready to kick things off.

PINKHAM: What do you do to prepare for them? 

SPURRY: As RDC, we're just hearing our op orders, operation orders for the year - the rat events we're going to be doing - we're PT'ing [physical training] our guys, making sure we're in top - ready to go. We're... I'm also the CIC [Cadet-in-Charge] for the 80-miler march 

PINKHAM: Oh great!

SPURRY: Working on that doing some rat recon making sure that's ready to go getting the guys ready.

PINKHAM: When does that kick off? So, you have, what, three days to get to New Market or something like that?

SPURRY: Yeah, three real days of walking and then we just walk across the highway the last day. We leave 28 August and get there 1 September.

COLEMAN:  So, you're the president of the Rat Disciplinary Committee. Ok. So, what does a president do?

SPURRY: So, I'm kind of the liaison between the Committee and commandant's staff making sure we're doing the things we need to do and I'm kind of, I guess the face of the organization to the rats and I'm overseeing events but I've got different guys, like the operations officer, the secretary, and the vice president, they all have specific roles in the organization that I don't really step on so we all kind of have our own little zone in there.

COLEMAN: So, how did you get there? How did you become the president?

SPURRY: I was cadre my third class year and enjoyed it and then my second class year your class votes you to the top so I think it was 25 people that we think would be all right at it and then I never considered it - I always wanted to do the rank thing but I figured if my BRs want me to do it, I'd give it a shot. So, I went out to the interview process and they narrowed it down to 10 and then they pick four of us and those four second classmen they always go on to be the four officers.

COLEMAN: Do you think that VMI's leadership opportunities have prepared you at all for this position?

SPURRY: 100%. I learned that this summer at OCS with a lot of other guys from senior military colleges you hear about the stuff they do, and you don't say [anything] because they wouldn't understand but I mean, the leadership opportunities we're given just head and shoulders above all them. We're running 500 battalion-level operations and we're 21 years old and have, like, four weeks of training when we get here. I mean, it gets crazy, so it's a really nice opportunity.

COLEMAN:  Do you think that this position being the president will help you in your future professionally?

SPURRY: I think so. These guys, they're 18 years old and they're the same age that some PFCs and lance corporals I'm going to have in, like, a year, so, I mean, I really respect the decision they've made and - that's a good attitude - yeah - trying to give them their money's worth. Give them a hard Rat Line and I know I'm very blessed with being here and going through that and I think if I give them what they want - I think they want a hard and fair and meaningful Rat Line, so I think that's kind of my goal.

PINKHAM:  That's a challenge. [All] Yeah.

SPURRY: It is. It's hard to keep kids balled in. That's why we're really trying to change things up this year. In the past, people have been really concerned with learning our names or learning some cadets names and I really don't think that's important. This year, we're really trying to push, like, the medal of honor recipients and New Market cadets - like, people from the Institute who've made a real, real contribution.  It's hard to be broke off when you're learning about cadets that have won the medal of honor. It's hard to feel sorry for yourself.

PINKHAM:  Puts things in perspective.

SPURRY: For sure, for sure. So, we're trying to push that, big time. Yeah, I just really think I would use my time as the RDC president to kind of, I mean,  it's gonna be a long time before doing anything at the battalion level, I might never do that - who knows how long I'll be in, but that'll be valuable and then as a dyke it's gonna be great practice for mentorship one-on-one with a young junior enlisted marine or my son or whatever.

PINKHAM: So, you're commissioning?

SPURRY: Yes sir.

COLEMAN: Ok, here's something we missed - tell us about your background. Like, where you're from and how you heard about VMI.

SPURRY: I'm from the Eastern Shore, Maryland. A really small town in Catawba County and heard about VMI. I went to a boarding school in northern Virginia, Episcopal High School and one of, like, 'the man' at Episcopal he was an A.P. US History teacher and the football coach, a good old Virginia boy, he was a VMI guy… and he tried to talk me out of it - until I said  I'm 100% going and he said, 'Good.' He was just held in the highest regard at my high school. Just wanted to make sure I was bought in!

COLEMAN: What have you done here throughout the years here at VMI?

SPURRY: One really cool thing - me and another guy - it kind of fell in our laps - that rat unity event - me and another boy kind of took the reins on that and did that - it was like 22 kills like a suicide prevention for the Armed Forces and we headed that up as rats as our unity event and raised, like, $18,000.

PINKHAM /COLEMAN: Holy Smokes - Dang!

SPURRY: So, we were really, really pumped about that and that was a cool, cool experience. 

PINKHAM: And early on in your career, right? 

SPURRY: Yeah that was - I didn't know what I was doing  - 

PINKHAM: But that's how you grow, right? You grew into it.

SPURRY: That was cool and then corporal year I was the company clerks that was interesting being, like a corporal, but a little bit leading my peers because the clerk is the head corporal so it was my first experience of peer leadership, which at that was the hardest - I didn't know anything and I was trying to tell these guys what to do - I didn't know - I didn't know what I was doing so, that's tough.

PINKHAM: But you figured it out. How did you do that? What.. you must have come with the skills somehow to manage that.

SPURRY: You just got to. I mean, it's all about taking care of your people. As a clerk, it's all about accountability. You just gotta, I mean, there's no - you can't mess up. It's about keeping the rats safe and accounted for and if one gets lost then training all over post stops so you just can't screw up. So, learned fast and was helped a lot - mentored and this-that and... 

PINKHAM: Well, you were good at it, clearly! 

SPURRY: I didn't lose anyone, but I... we got... it was a tough job and really prepared me well for OCS because that's all you're doing is counting people and making sure that everyone's there. Just another example of VMI getting you geared up for that kind of stuff. Second class RDC, that was tough. A lot of late nights, lot of early mornings whatnot, but another cool experience. I love that big picture planning  and stuff. I think it's really cool watching those kids grow every year as a group, as opposed as an individual. It's pretty cool change.  Interesting.

COLEMAN: What's the motive behind the rat straining and do you think that it's necessary?

SPURRY: I do. A strain - the reason it exists is 'cause you're giving them an order to make themselves uncomfortable - it's all it's doing. We're really teaching followership as a rat before you get the leadership piece of VMI. Looking at the big picture goal. 'Cause you're supposed to do it when no one's looking. It's teaching them integrity and you're not supposed to do it only when someone's telling you to do it. You're supposed to be doing it all the time in barracks, middle of the night if you go leave your room to do whatever you should be doing it. If you can get an 18-year-old to do that in the middle of the night when he knows no one's watching - that's when it really - that's when you know the Rat Line's done its job. That can go for anything. Being an honorable person. Doing the right thing. Going the extra mile. Does a lot for them. It looks dumb. And it's like... these kids... I mean, most of your - if you're here, you're probably pretty squared away and you were probably 'the man' in high school or whatever and you're a hard-charger, but you look like an idiot when you're straining, but you just gotta do it.

COLEMAN: Did you do it when nobody was looking?

SPURRY: Oh yeah, I racked that thing in! [laughter] I was bent over backwards! I think rats should take pride in doing that. Yeah, me and my buddies look back fondly on it.

PINKHAM: That's an interesting point. You took pride in doing it well.

SPURRY: It's ridiculous.  Outside looking in - I can't imagine anyone else that unless you're a VMI alum or work here intimately with VMI, you probably - that is the dumbest thing in the world! But it really, really means a lot. 

PINKHAM: Would the square meal idea come into that same realm?

SPURRY: That kind of stuff, that's more military discipline so that's just following orders. Squaring your corners. Looking sharp in drill, that kind of stuff. Most services do that, but the strain is, I think, something extremely unique to VMI.

PINKHAM: So, we're going through this leadership journey too, asking questions.  That's something that I didn't really understand very well.

COLEMAN: Yeah.

PINKHAM: It's kind of cool.

COLEMAN:  I don't think a lot of people do.

SPURRY: It's unique, for sure. No other school has it. No other school has anything like that.

COLEMAN: So, what advice would you give rats coming in this year? Or just new students?

PINKHAM: Start straining!

COLEMAN: Yeah, besides that. Prospective students? 

SPURRY: You gotta know, not to sound preachy or whatever, but when you sign the book or you make the decision, especially if you're commissioning, but even if you just want to, even if you're just here to be a cadet, it's not about you anymore. You gotta put yourself in uncomfortable situations to save that from your people around you, your brothers. That's not - I mean, I'm only here, the one reason I'm here for the most part is to knid of get my butt kicked a little bit before I have the opportunity to lead Marines - I originally wanted to enlist - my Dad was an enlisted Marine and he kind of pushed me to pursue a college education and I'm glad I did.

PINKHAM: And be an officer!

SPURRY: For sure - he spent enough time doing that. That stuff, but I really wanted to kind of get my licks here and be under people and work with people in more of an enlisted kind of situation.

PINKHAM: It runs in your family. 

SPURRY: Yes. The military is a family business, for sure. For sure. I think as an incoming rat just understand it's no longer about you. When you work out, you're not trying to look pretty, you're more trying to get ready to help people. You're studying because you need to be an expert at your craft to lead those around you, so, just be selfless and be honorable and that's the best advice for an incoming rat – prospective cadet.

PINKHAM: It'll keep you out of trouble for the most part.

SPURRY: Be honorable and selfless and you can't really go wrong.

PINKHAM: So, tell us someplace that you, maybe you failed, not failed, not miserably, but didn't live up to your standards and how did you correct it?  Or something that was just really difficult for you that you overcame and was that much better for it.

SPURRY: -Two things: one, you gotta be on 24-7, - definitely could be a little bit more serious sometimes...

COLEMAN: Humor is necessary. 

SPURRY: It is necessary. 

COLEMAN: Oh my gosh - it is! 

PINKHAM: something - I don't know what you want to call it - a good virtue? Attribute?

COLEMAN: Attribute.

PINKHAM: As a leader...

COLEMAN: Just to get through some stuff.

SPURRY: Definitely gotta laugh. Gotta learn to delegate. I've had big things kind of crumble in my hands because I was trying to take on too much.

PINKHAM: That's interesting, yeah.

SPURRY: And then it's on you. 

COLEMAN: That's part of being a leader. I guess that's what you're going to do in your future endeavors too.

SPURRY: Got to learn to delegate and trust others. That was tough. Everyone's telling you to just push yourself - do this, do that so you try and take on too much and there you are, you're underwater yourself.  Gotta be careful about that. Study.

COLEMAN: Study! That's a good one!

SPURRY: You have to prioritize correctly - I put a lot of hours, things kind of worked out, so I'd say I'd do it again, but I put a lot of time and effort into my - into the Rat Line. I took it really seriously when I was a rat. I put a lot of time and effort into my Marine Corps stuff, but my GPA was trash as a rat.

COLEMAN: Don't say that!

SPURRY: You gotta study.

COLEMAN: That's an adjustment, too, as a rat or freshman in any college, I think. You know. You have to adjust your time.

PINKHAM: What I would say, especially here, much of your time is spoken for.

COLEMAN: Yeah, it is prioritizing and organizing.

PINKHAM: I would prioritize sleep, I'm sorry!

SPURRY: Can't do that around here! No.

PINKHAM: Exactly! Sleep is a backseat to certain things.

SPURRY: It does.

PINKHAM: So, that would be rough for me, thinking about it now.

COLEMAN: What does leadership mean to you and how has that been defined through your years here? 

SPURRY: I think back in the day, I would say leadership was you see these dudes standing up on the sentinel box - it's just being 'the man' or whatever and leading from the front, but I think now after going through three years and kicking off the fourth, it's just being as close to the bottom level as you can, as much as you can. You've got to look out for your people. And if they are doing something, you better be doing it too. If some third sees you filling up sandbags right next to him, or whatever, or some junior enlisted Marine sees you sweeping the floor, like, I think that just - that just means a whole heck of a lot. You just gotta be with your people. It's all - it's a people business.

PINKHAM: It reminds me of the All Blacks rugby team, when they get back in the locker room after a game, it's the senior guys who will, literally, sweep the shed, they call it. They'll take out the brooms and clean up. 

SPURRY:  That's the way it should be. You gotta look out for your people.

PINKHAM: [music playing in the background] The Center for Leadership and Ethics would like to thank the following: Cadet Caleb Minus '20 for the intro and backing music. Find more of his musical stylings on his Instagram page @mynus_official. M-Y-N-U-S official. Colonel David Gray, US Army (Ret.), director of the VMI Center for Leadership and Ethics, and of course, as always, our podcast guests. Find this podcast and other Center for Leadership and Ethics programming information on the VMI Center for Leadership and Ethics' website or try our YouTube Channel. Follow the VMI Center for Leadership and Ethics on Facebook, Twitter,  LinkedIn, and  Instagram accounts. See you next episode of 'The Journey.' Thanks for tuning in! [music fades]