Teen earns Eagle award despite challenges of military family life Published Aug. 15, 2008 By Holly Birchfield 78 ABW/PA Robins Air Force Base, GA -- Maj. Eddie Taylor, 78th Force Support Squadron deputy director, always wanted his sons, Austin and Vincent, to experience all the Boy Scouts could offer. In October 2005, Vincent, now 19, earned the rank of Eagle Scout. His 16-year-old brother recently followed in his footsteps, earned his Eagle Scout award Aug. 4 from the Central Georgia Council's Eagle Scout Board in Perry. The achievement didn't come easily though. At 6, Austin joined the Cub Scouts at Yokota Air Base, Japan, at the encouragement of his dad. "I wanted both of my sons to be a part of Scouting because of the opportunities it provides," Major Taylor said. Austin and his family knew staying in Scouts would be challenging as the family moved from base to base every few years, but it was a challenge they were willing to face. "When you move around, first and foremost, you have to get connected with other friends and you have to meet other people and troops and you have to be able to like them," Austin said. "You have to keep up with your requirements. You could be doing a requirement in one place and when you move, you can totally mess up that requirement and you have to (start) over at the next troop." This was one of a few challenges the Houston County High School senior overcame to reach the highest rank in Boy Scouts. Austin said he and his brother served in Boy Scouts together until a year or so ago. Major Taylor said having both sons in the Scouts made it easier to stay on track. "It was fairly easy because they were both interested in it," he said. "They enjoy the activities. When we got to a new base, we just looked up the local troops and visited two or three of them to make sure we picked the right one, not only for our schedule, but for the type of style they had. Austin would just jump right in and pick up where he left off at his last base." Once his brother left for college, Austin was on his own on the journey through the seven ranks to getting his Eagle Scout award. Through hard work and determination, the San Antonio native reached Eagle Scout. Austin gives much of the credit to his family. "I want to thank my family for all they've done for me," he said. "They motivated me. There was times when I didn't like Scouting at all and I wanted to quit, but they kept pushing me and now I'm an Eagle Scout." Major Taylor said he's very proud of his son. "He's just a remarkable young man," he said. "As they get older, they start (having other interests), and it's a little bit more challenging to keep them in Scouting. I think what kept Austin in was not only the friends that he made, but the fact that he wanted to go camping once a month." Kirt Ryberg, Troop 96 Scoutmaster in Perry, Ga., said he's proud of Austin's accomplishment. "When he came to us about a year ago, he knew he had a long way to go and little time to do it," he said. "It takes a lot of buckling down and a lot of work and effort to get Eagle Scout. Going to all the different bases, it's tough." Austin said achieving Eagle Scout rank feels great. "I'm really happy that I got it because it took so long for me to achieve it," he said. "I was stuck on one rank for a while and I didn't think I was going to continue on with it. Dad kept pressing me to keep going with it and I finally made it." Mr. Ryberg said Austin is now an instructor in his Boy Scout troop and will now work toward his Eagle Palms. Once Major Taylor returns from deployment, his family will celebrate Austin's Eagle Scout achievement.