Attention to Detail

In the civilian world, the term attention to detail means simply not forgetting to turn your iron off before you leave to work, or remembering to pay your light bill before the last notice, or right before the power company gets to your front door. But in the past three month in basic training and here at AIT I have learned that for the military attention to detail has a totally different meaning. In the military, attention to detail means being proactive in the things or missions that you set out to accomplish. Having attention to detail means making sure everything or every action that you make or perform is perfect and once your done making sure that it’s perfect you go back and check it again and then again after that if need be. In the military you do this continuously every day and every hour with every task that you do until that task become what is called muscle memory. This is something that comes almost like reflex to your body.

John Robert Wooden an American basketball player and coach who won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period seven in a row an unprecedented feat. Within this period once said It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen. This quote has stuck with me for a while now mainly because of my job before I joined the military.

Two and half years ago, a friend of mine came up to me and asked me if I was interested in working in surgery at Gadsden Regional Medical Center in Gadsden, Alabama. In that area there are only two hospitals around, so it seemed like a great opportunity. This job sounded great because I was a college kid en route to nursing school at the local community college just down the road. However, I knew very little about what I was getting myself into. Working as a surgical assistant, can be a very stressful job because it literally requires 100% of your attention. As a Surgical assistant, I am responsible for the patient before I even meet them. Prior to meeting the patient,...