After four decades teaching Boy Scouts, Georgia Military College cadets, and U.S. Army soldiers, Col. Pat Beer has seen plenty of success stories.
In his 21 years in the U.S. Army and 21 years on the GMC faculty, the former Airborne Ranger and longtime Commandant of Cadets made a career out of passing his knowledge down to a new generation of students. Now retired from the Commandant’s role and equipped with more free time than he has had in 40 years, recently Beer reflected on his time at GMC and the students he was able to help guide.
“The reason why I say [being Commandant of Cadets] is the best job in the world is that you can see a transformation in the student from the time they come in to the time they leave,” said Beer. “Coach Bert Williams and I see it hundreds of times a year, but … it’s not uncommon for students to come back five, 10, 20 years later and say ‘You helped me change my life’.”
Upon commissioning in the U.S. Army straight out of the former Augusta College, Beer spent the next two decades as an Airborne Ranger and eventually as a planning officer. After 19 years and a promotion to lieutenant colonel, Beer’s superiors assigned him the post of professor of Military Science at GMC. When Beer retired from the Army after two years as professor of Military Science, then-GMC President Maj. Gen. Peter Boylan asked Beer to stay on as Commandant of Cadets, a duty Beer has carried out for the past 19 years.
“It was very much like a family with other faculty and staff and the administration,” said Beer on his reception upon coming to GMC. “People welcomed me with open arms, and it was a very easy transition for me because I still wore a uniform and did similar things to what I did in the Army. It was a very smooth, easy transition, and it wouldn’t have been possible without Gen. Boylan.”
In his time commanding cadets at GMC, Beer has mentored countless students from all different types of backgrounds. While many of Beer’s former students have gone on to find success in their careers and other aspects of life, the retired colonel said one student in particular stands out as a shining example.
“There are several that stand out in my mind, but I had one kid who was a football player who came back about five or seven years after graduation,” said Beer of some of his favorite student success stories. “I’ll never forget: He said ‘I know when I was here I was a knucklehead, but I want you to know that I’ve gotten married, I have two beautiful kids, I’ve completed my four-year degree, I’ve started my own business, and I own my own home. Life is good, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the people at GMC.’ That’s an example that made me say ‘Wow’.”
Although Beer is officially retired, GMC was not the only way he helped guide a new generation of students. For the past 50 years, Beer has been active in the Boy Scouts of America, both as a troop leader and former scout himself. Shortly after moving to Milledgeville, Beer spent 10 years as the scoutmaster for Troop 87 in Milledgeville and has remained close with the troop ever since. Currently, Beer is helping spearhead a new initiative that offers scouting courses twice a week to GMC students, and even includes a monthly campout akin to traditional Boy Scout outings. While many people might be inclined to delegate their work after a 40-year career, Beer feels responsibility to give Milledgeville’s youth the same support he received when he was a kid.
“When I was a youngster, we went to the National Boy Scout Jamboree in Idaho and toured Canada when I was about 12 years old,” he said. “Many years later, my mom told me ‘I couldn’t afford for you to go on that trip. The scout leaders didn't ask, they just took you along’. I kind of have a debt to pay forward to other scouts to help them experience things they wouldn't have experienced before.”
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