Behind the Uniform – Spc. Taylor Scott
March 6, 2022
Why did you decide to join the National Guard?
“Well, most of my family served prior: my father, grandfather, my brother, my sister in law, and my cousin; so it was a family thing to serve my country. Also the National Guard has helped me make my way through college as well, with my bachelor’s in biology. I’m also thinking about getting a master’s eventually, so I can progress in my field.”
How do you feel when you’re working with the local community?
“Usually when we interact with the community, most people are extremely supportive. I’ve never had any bad experiences. Everyone is usually thanking us for our service and coming by to drop off water or snacks. So overall, it’s been a very good experience with the community.”
What kind of previous missions have you been on recently?
“I’ve been activated a lot the last two years. I got activated Jan. 6 last year [in 2021] and then almost immediately after that we had another COVID mission for vaccine distribution.”
Which part of your military occupation specialty training as a military police officer or training as a soldier has helped you the most in your military career recently?
“COVID kind of came out of nowhere, so I don’t think anyone was extremely ready for it. So I guess there’s just a lot of hip pocket training, on the fly, and that kind of thing that most prepared us. I guess we didn’t really know what was going on at first, and then our protocols and training molded over time.”
What is your favorite part of being a soldier?
“I love the camaraderie of all the soldiers. You know, it’s like brotherhood, for lack of a better term. Everyone’s very close with one another and working hand-in-hand a lot helps us to grow and work better as a unit. I love that, and just being able to go out and help people when they need it, is really rewarding.”
How has it been like for you in balancing your military service and non-military life?
“It’s definitely challenging, you know, getting called up and going out and having to do what a Soldier is called to do. Not being able to see loved ones is hard, but it is part of the job.”
How does your family feel about you being a part of the MDARNG?
“I think they’re proud. They’re proud for what I do, even though it can be dangerous sometimes.”
How do you think the basic skills you learned as a soldier have helped you in your life?
“They’ve certainly helped me be able to react faster and “adapt and overcome,” because it’s very true when things just pop up out of nowhere and you have to be able to deal with it. After you do it so many times it gets easier and easier to be able to be like, I got this. I know this isn’t what I was expecting, but we got to figure out the best plan of action and do the best we can.”
What do you plan to do next in your military career? In your life?
“I plan on going for 20 years of military service and I want to become a warrant officer eventually. So that way I can help to change things [in the service] that I feel could be adjusted.”
“My fiancé and I, of two years, are getting married in June. I’m really excited. I’m hoping that all this COVID and stuff starts to taper off, so we can have our wedding and have a lot of people come in.”
