Part I. Introduction
I thought I was well prepared for the continuous chaos and commotion of cadet life. Though neither of my parents had any military background, I was one of ten children – yes, ten children. I grew up in Beaver, Pennsylvania – a beautiful, small town in the outskirts of Pittsburgh and situated on the banks of the Beaver and Ohio rivers. It was a very practical location for my parents to raise such a large family. There was ample space for housing and property in a location well removed from the overwhelming turbulence of the city life. However, the city was always within reach. Therefore, my siblings and I were afforded the best of both worlds or rather a healthy mix of rural, suburban, and city life. I was the sixth of
…show more content…
The challenge began in the crucible of Beast Barracks. Beast or Cadet Basic Training is designed to challenge the individual at every level. New cadets rarely escape unscathed from discoveries of their own weaknesses and shortcomings whether they be physical, psychological, emotional, or spiritual. In these times of difficulty and doubt, one’s identity often requires thorough scrutiny. My entire life I had tied or woven my personal identity closely to my family identity. Despite this, I considered myself an independent and individualistic person. However, the plunge into military life tested my preconceived self-perceptions. I found myself isolated from my family and other familiarities, and forced to solely cultivate and define my personal identity as a cadet. I believe, through it all, I retained an idea of my personal identity; however, it was now being tested. This uncertainty led to numerous instances where insecurities and doubts clouded my judgement and adversely affected both cognition and emotion in difficult situations. This confusion or challenge can be better understood through its application to developmental and a personality theories. Concerning the developmental theory, the cognitive and affective issues arising from my identity crisis can be applied to Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial Stage including the major psychosocial crisis of Identity vs. Role Confusion, and also to Marcia’s “Identity status” of Moratorium (Passer & Smith, 2011, p. 430, 447). Concerning the personality theory, the cognitive and affective issues arising from my identity crisis can very well be applied to the Neuroticism Dimension within the Five Factor Model (Passer & Smith, 2011, p.