US Army Officer & West Point Graduate, Simran Patil, joins us to discuss her journey from Bangalore to the United States. Simran & her family moved to the United States when she was a baby and she mostly grew up in Sahuarita, AZ and attended Sahuarita High School whereby she was the Valedictorian of her class. After receiving a nomination from the late Senator John McCain, she received appointments for the United States Air Force Academy and West Point--two of the most elite institutions in the U.S. Simran ultimately chose West Point and majored in international relations with a cyber engineering track and graduated with a Bachelor of Science. She branched Quartermaster, and is currently based in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. She was previously a maintenance control officer (MCO) and an executive officer (XO) for a forward support company. She is currently serving as a brigade adjutant for the 18th Field Artillery Brigade.
https://www.indiaabroad.com/campus/the-pride-of-west-point-simran-patil-joins-an-elite-club-of-indian-americans/article_9bc9137e-8a48-11e9-951d-4baeffcf0ff8.html
https://www.indianeagle.com/travelbeats/west-point-cadet-simran-patil/
Soniya Gokhale (00:05):
Welcome back to another episode of A Desi Woman Podcast. I am your host, Soniya Gokhale. And the voices I am seeking may have never been heard before, but their stories deserve to be told. What is a Desi Woman? She is a dynamic, fearless, and strong woman. She is your mother, your grandmother, your daughter, your sister. She is every one of us with an endless pursuit of self-empowerment and fulfillment. I am Soniya Gokhale, and I am a Desi Woman.
Soniya Gokhale (00:40):
Hello and welcome to another edition A Desi Woman podcast. I am your host, Soniya Gokhale, and today, we are so excited to be joined by West Point graduate and current U.S. Army Officer in the 18th Field Artillery Brigade, Simran Patil. Simran Patil was born in Bangalore, India and moved to the United States when she was an infant, as her parents migrated here. Simran graduated from high school in Arizona in 2015 and was the class valedictorian. After receiving from the late Senator John McCain, Simran received appointments for the prestigious U.S. Air Force Academy and West Point.
Soniya Gokhale (01:25):
She ultimately chose West Point and majored in international relations with a cyber engineering track and graduated with a bachelor of science. Simran branched quartermaster and is currently based in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Simran, Welcome to the show.
Simran Patil (01:44):
Hi, Soniya. Thank you so much for having me.
Soniya Gokhale (01:47):
Well, I am so excited to speak with you, and I actually found out about you based on some articles that I found in newspapers from our diaspora, including India Abroad. And the fact that you're a West Point graduate is just absolutely amazing and such a phenomenal accomplishment, and one we don't often see, especially among women in general in this country, but certainly not from our diaspora. We are just so excited to talk to you and find out how you embarked on this amazing path forward and speak to some of the challenges that you faced in this trajectory.
Soniya Gokhale (02:29):
You graduated at this point from West Point. It's the oldest U.S. military academy now in it's 217th year. You really joined an elite club of less than half a dozen Indian Americans who have graduated from this U.S. Army college, and it's such a highly competitive cadetship that includes a fully funded for your college education. I want to hear more not only about your journey, I'm going to have some very specific questions for you about what that was like, but also just give us an idea of how you came to this decision.
Simran Patil (03:06):
It was definitely not an easy decision, and I wasn't 100% sure what I was getting into. I will admit that. I don't have any other family that have or are currently serving in the U.S. military. I do have an uncle in the Indian Army. But other than him, I have no other family members in the U.S. military. Basically I did a course in high school called NJROTC, and it's pretty much supposed to mirror ROTC, which is what you take in college as a way to commission as a U.S. Army officer or Air Force or Navy, whatever it is. I did ROTC and I started getting interested in the military.
Simran Patil (03:53):
I really liked that whole combination of academics, physical fitness, leaders of character, that whole concept. My instructor in NJROTC was a Naval Academy graduate, so I had that inspiration. Other than that, my family was very supportive. I mean, they always saw serving in the military as a way of giving back to the country that had given us so many opportunities. My dad, he actually went to a school similar to West Point, but it was his high school back in India.
Simran Patil (04:27):
It was called Vidya Shala, and it was a very regimented high school, which incorporated strong academics, strong physical fitness, all of that. He really admired service academies and what they had to offer and basically the benefits of that kind of lifestyle after graduating. Both my mom and my dad were very supportive. Basically my junior year of high school, I applied for the summer seminars for Air Force and West Point, so Air Force Academy and West Point. And I got into both of those and I went to both of those summer seminars. Those are just like one week long introductions pretty much to the academies.
Simran Patil (05:11):
I loved them. I absolutely loved them. And I'm like, "This is what I want to do. No doubt about it." I ended up applying to both of those service academies and got nominations, because that's the first step, you have to get a nomination from either a congressmen, senator, president vice-president. And then after you secure a nomination, then you apply and get appointed.
Soniya Gokhale (05:36):
Wow! That is so interesting. I have a couple of questions regarding that. First of all, amazing that you have the support of your parents. Because as most of my listeners are global and from South Asia, but it's very different in this country, and I wanted to outline some of those acceptance rates. This is not an easy path. I want to offer that for West Point, the acceptance rate is 12%. That means that we're looking at 82% that are rejected. The U.S. Naval Academy, similarly, an 8.3% acceptance rate, and the U.S. Air Force Academy is that 11.1.
Soniya Gokhale (06:13):
Now, these may be needing some updating, but sufficed to say, it is highly competitive. It sounds like you were just an amazing candidate. You were going to find success anywhere. What I really liked about the story is that your family supported you, and it's a perfect example of our diaspora really being a part of this country. From everything related to Silicon Valley, we hear a lot about that, but in the armed forces. And as a female, I am just so proud of you, I have to say, because it's a daunting task as well.
Soniya Gokhale (06:46):
We'll get into some of that as I ask you some other questions, but sufficed to say, the gender, it's going to be mostly men and certainly not many Indian Americans, I would imagine. Who did you seek your recommendation from? I had no idea that you have to get that as well from an elected official or somebody in your state. And then as well, can you speak to me about being an Indian American and how many of us are there represented in these institutions?
Simran Patil (07:15):
Yeah, absolutely. Actually my nominator was the late Senator John McCain of Arizona.
Soniya Gokhale (07:23):
No! Oh my goodness! That is just so historic. How special.
Simran Patil (07:29):
Yeah.
Soniya Gokhale (07:29):
Okay. Wow! Wow! Blown away by that. He's amazing. Yeah, okay.
Simran Patil (07:37):
But yeah, in terms of how many Indian Americans there were at West Point, not many at all. I mean, looking back in my class, each class has around a thousand cadets. My class, I think there was two other Indian American, one female, one male. So yeah, not a lot of us there.
Soniya Gokhale (07:57):
Wow. Okay. Wow, that's amazing. How did you approach the former Senator McCain who really, really is considered such a hero in this country for so many reasons. Did you reach out to him for that recommendation? And did you have any interactions with him? That'll be interesting to hear.
Simran Patil (08:17):
There's a formal application process to receive the nomination interview. So I did that. And then once I heard back that I have to go and... Basically you sit down with a board of members that are West Point graduates, Air Force graduates, Naval Academy graduates. Senator McCain was not physically present, but all of those people were appointed by him to be there and conducted those interviews. The interview went really well. They ask you all sorts of questions.
Simran Patil (08:46):
Obviously they talk about your transcripts, your records, your grades, all of that, but then they also pose these moral dilemmas and ask you what you would do in this sort of situation. I thought that was pretty neat. And usually they're not black and white solutions. It's usually some sort of gray area, and they do this to get a sense of your character, because obviously that's a very big part of going to these service academies and commissioning as an officer.
Soniya Gokhale (09:12):
Absolutely. As I'm reading interviews that you've done in the past, you've indicated that they say everyone at West Point fails in something or another. And just in speaking with you and based on your credentials, I would wager that failure isn't something you've experienced very often. And I think that it would be a very humbling experience to be an in West Point. You indicate for you survival swimming, one of the many physical courses.
Soniya Gokhale (09:41):
Because as we contemplate your entry into this program, and we know all about MIT, we know about Harvard, we know about those trajectories and the challenges associated, this combines all sorts of things on the physical, on the mental, on the moral to really, really put you to the test in all areas. The physical courses that you had to take to graduate, you had to strap on a vest, which holds two heavy water jugs, and carry a dummy rifle. If you could speak to me about that, you said you're a decent swimmer, but my goodness, this goes beyond that. I would love to hear more about that.
Simran Patil (10:22):
Yeah, absolutely. So like you said, there's numerous physical fitness, DPE we call it, Department of Physical Education. It's a whole department at West Point, and it's actually a large part of your grade, how well you do in these courses. Basically your GPA encompasses academics and physical fitness at West Point. Survival swimming was one of the classes I had to take. And I was, I thought I was a decent swimmer, so I went into this class not very afraid. Pretty sure I would do fine. And then we started having the different gates, which are basically the different tests in that class.
Simran Patil (11:05):
I wasn't doing that well. I was doing well enough where I was passing, and I'm like, "Okay, I think I can pass this class." I just need to go in early morning. I would go in at like 5:30 and practice the different gates. I'd go in with my friends who were better swimmers. I would do all of that and then hopefully pass. And then it came down to basically the final gate, which was the last day of the course, and I needed the minimum amount of points to pass the class. I was like, "All right, I just need the 40 points to pass the class."
Simran Patil (11:38):
So basically we had to carry all of our gear, like you said, the dummy rifle, the water drugs, and the kit, all of that. And basically what they did in this gate, it was called survival gate four, is you're in... It's an indoor pool. The lights are pretty much turned off, and then they have flickering lights, and then they have gunshot sounds in the background. It's like a war-like scenario. They make it very lifelike, and then they have... It's a wave pool, so the waves are going. It's a very distressful environment.
Simran Patil (12:13):
You have to go down the slide with your dummy rifle and then basically go in the water, touch the floor, go back up, and then swim around with the dummy rifle. And then eventually you have to inflate your blouse and your pants. That's where I struggled. I was trying to inflate it, but one of my pant legs had twisted, so it wasn't inflating. I was completely out of breath, exhausted, and I was just trying to inflate this. And then the instructor was saying, "No-go. It's a no-go." And I kept going. And then finally I was so just out of breath, so exhausted, I just grabbed the wall.
Simran Patil (12:51):
I couldn't do it anymore. And then that's when I knew I had felt the class. And I was like, "Wow, this is awful. Life can't get any worse." It was just a very rough point because I knew I would have to retake that course. And obviously that's a graduation requirement too. So if I failed again, I would be kicked out. It was very, very terrifying.
Soniya Gokhale (13:12):
Unbelievable. Wow! And this is so insightful because I didn't realize the rigorous nature. We know that... And I'm going to ask you actually here shortly about basic training, which we've all heard about, but that sounds immensely stressful, and through no fault of your own. They don't care if it's your pant leg. It doesn't matter. That's so frustrating. We know when cadets first enter any of the military branches that basic training is notoriously a six week introductory training led by upperclassmen.
Soniya Gokhale (13:50):
For many people, there's aspects of basic training that are challenging, but you indicate ruck marching, which basically involves walking several miles with a 40 to 50 pound backpack while holding a rifle was very challenging for you. I wanted to ask you about that, but I also want to ask you about the process, the intake process, as you first arrive, because one of the things that I've noticed... For example, I've completed my executive MBA program at the Ohio State University, and many of my colleagues were either veterans or active military.
Soniya Gokhale (14:27):
The mindset that they have, it's sort of a very calm disposition in the face of whatever challenges might be put in front of them. I want to talk to you about that because as I stated, there's many areas that are focused upon as you complete the West Point education and mental strength is something that unquestionably is really important. You kind of just illustrated it in the example that you gave us, because clearly emotional. It's very distressful situation, your pant leg is stuck, but you got to power through it and come up with a solution.
Soniya Gokhale (15:07):
I do want to talk about that, but curious about how ruck marching especially challenging for you. And then also speak to your day one arrival and what you've dealt with mentally and what's put in front of you by the upperclassmen.
Simran Patil (15:21):
Yeah, absolutely. Day one of Beast Barracks is not supposed to be a fun day. It's supposed to be one of the worst days. They call it our day. It stands for reception day. And basically you come in and the upperclassmen, who are the cadre, are leading it completely. And they're taking you from station A to station B, getting all of your gear issued to you. And while all this is happening, they're screaming in your faces, yelling at you for doing minor things wrong, like going the wrong way for one step. They'll yell at you. Just little things. But the point of it is it's supposed to be just stressful and overwhelming.
Simran Patil (15:59):
It's not supposed to be a good time. I do remember that. I remember being terrified, as we all were. So that was our day. And then after that, the next six and a half weeks was Beast, which is the cadet basic training at West Point. And like you talked about, the rucking was probably the most difficult part for me. I felt sorry for myself. I remember I just kept thinking, "Oh, I'm 110 pound small girl. How do they expect me to carry all of this weight, like all of these?" And it was funny because I was in a company with all the defensive football players.
Soniya Gokhale (16:38):
Oh my goodness.
Simran Patil (16:40):
There are some giant guys that were in my own team, and I just kept comparing myself to them thinking like, "Oh, how do they expect me to do this?" And I just kept feeling sorry for myself. But then eventually, after Beast and rucking more, I just realized it was, like you said, all just mental. It was all about having mental strength, taking another step, just having the mental strength to take that extra step, take that third step, take that fourth step. It was all mental is what I ended up realizing. And it's funny because I went back as cadre after my second year at West Point.
Simran Patil (17:17):
I was a squad leader, so I was actually the one that was yelling at new cadets. It was so much easier the second time around. I was so confused how I had a difficult time doing this. I remember all my new cadets, they were so shocked looking at me. They're like, like, "Sergeant Patil, you're so small. How are you able to do this?" I think it's just getting used to it and just having that mental strength to take that next step.
Soniya Gokhale (17:50):
That is so inspiring because really, I mean, you're tiny, 110 pounds. Exactly. And yet, doesn't that demonstrate... To me, it demonstrates really how the human mind and our capacity to overcome obstacles really, really is an example of how much are we not using. And that's what really intrigued me about this. And obviously not everybody can do this, I mentioned the admission rates, but that is so inspiring, so incredibly inspiring. And then when you overcome that, what I've noticed is I think you're going to be an amazing talent in whatever you pursue, but I'll tell you why.
Soniya Gokhale (18:28):
Any corporate issues that come up, let's say you're in management or you're in politics, you approach things with such a different perspective that I think is so sorely needed in today's environment and just assess the situation. This is what I've noticed anyway from those who I have immense respect for. By the way, anyone who served time in our military. It's such an enjoyable interview here hearing about you and hearing your transformation. Now, you also mentioned academically, you learned the importance of time management. I can only imagine in the midst of doing all those things that you mentioned...
Soniya Gokhale (19:03):
And in high school, you could turn that assignment the night before it was due and still get A, and you found that West Point was very different. If you could speak to me about that, that would be amazingly helpful.
Simran Patil (19:15):
So that's true. In high school, I would do things like work on a paper the night before and I would do completely fine on it. And then at West Point, I went in with that similar kind of mentality, where I would just do the assignments the night before, and I realized it was not working well. I wasn't doing as well as I did in high school. So slowly I started realizing, okay, I need to start using every minute of the day. I need to start planning my entire week. I have to plan my entire day, the morning of.
Simran Patil (19:48):
I started learning the importance of time management, because I thought I had it mastered in high school, but I was nowhere near where I needed to be once I got to West Point. Plebe Year, which is freshman year at West Point, was definitely the toughest. And it's usually the toughest for most cadets at West Point because we're learning how to be as busy as we are. Once I started to get better at that, it became a lot easier. It's actually translated really well after West Point.
Simran Patil (20:22):
Now that I'm in the army, just in terms of work, I feel like I can get so much work done in like a short amount of time compared to some of my peers, because a lot of people just don't have that time management skill.
Soniya Gokhale (20:36):
I was going to say, absolutely. And I really hope that you... I'm already recruiting you to write a book here, but I think everybody could use some of those skills, and yet not everybody can get admitted to West Point. What's so amazing is that in addition to this heavy academic load, you became a part of the cheerleading team, which I just found so incredibly delightful, because it looks so fun and seeing you in your uniform and on the sidelines is just awesome. For those that maybe aren't aware, because I do have a lot of listeners in India, cheerleading is a very rigorous sport.
Soniya Gokhale (21:10):
It involves a lot of athleticism, and it's certainly not an easy endeavor if you're joining it in this country. We take it pretty seriously. You would indicate that it was a pretty significant time commitment, but it also lets you have some fun. I just want to hear about that and how that helped you expand your horizons during your school.
Simran Patil (21:32):
Yeah. So actually my first year at West Point, I was not on the cheerleading team. I was too scared that I wouldn't have enough time for it, that my academics would go down. So I just focused on school. And then my two roommates, who are some of my best friends now, they were both on the ski patrol team. They would go out on weekends. They would travel on weekends, and they would come back laughing, smiling. And I became really envious of that. I realized I needed to join some sort of team to be happy, because West Point really does take a toll on you. If you don't find happiness, you won't be happy.
Simran Patil (22:11):
You need to go out of your way to find that. Basically my second year, I tried out for the cheerleading team. I cheered in high school a little bit a few years. And then before that, I was a gymnast for about 10 years. And so I did have a pretty strong foundation. I tried out and I made the team. And of course, I became a lot more busy. I mean, we would have classes from 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM. And then right after I came back to my room, I would change into my practice clothes. I would run over to practice.
Simran Patil (22:48):
We'd have practice for an hour, an hour and a half, and then I would come back to my room, shower, eat dinner, and then I would start my homework. And then I would usually go until like 1:00 AM, 2:00 AM. It was pretty rough. But yeah, I was very busy, but I don't regret doing the cheerleading at all. I mean, it was a great time. I got to travel. I got to fly to Oklahoma, Ohio, California, Texas, all over the country. Made some really great friends. It was overall a really good time =, and I don't regret it at all, even though it, I guess...
Soniya Gokhale (23:22):
Yeah, no, I mean, it sounds like you really got such a... You got a little bit of everything that West Point has to offer. I love this quote that you indicate that a lot of people would say to you, "West Point is the worst place to be, but the best place to be from. Hang in there." As you're looking back at your four years, and then I would love to hear more about what you're doing now, you do indicate West Point transformed you. There's just no doubt about it.
Soniya Gokhale (23:51):
You also indicate, that I kind of gave reference to, is many of your classmates there were admitted into the prestigious universities such as Harvard and Stanford, but they made that choice to come to West Point. And that's what I want to hear more about is basically you're driven not only by the high standards that are expected from you, but you're with an elite squad of peers and colleagues. I can't help but think that also motivated you because you're with the best of the best. Just in closing out, any other comments you have about your time there, your friends? I presume you stay in touch.
Simran Patil (24:28):
Oh yeah. I mean, I knew once I got to West Point, I would be surrounded by brilliant young men and women, but I was still definitely shocked at how impressive some of these people were. I mean, one of my best friends graduated top 10 of our graduating class, which was crazy impressive. I mean, she is what I would call a genius, and she was also on the track team. So she was very busy, but she would get straight A's. I mean, extremely impressive people. Another thing I really liked about the cadets and a lot who became my friends was that they weren't just strong academically, strong physically.
Simran Patil (25:12):
They were great people. I mean, all of these people were just very kind, very caring people. I never met a group of people like that before, who were all so just good all around, like just well-rounded people. That definitely motivated me, like you said. Just being around that was very, very nice.
Soniya Gokhale (25:34):
Well, I can only imagine. And like I said, I was so prompted to reach out to you when I read about your story, because it's such an extraordinary story when we learned that your parents [inaudible 00:25:47] Patil came here from Bangalore and immigrated to New Zealand from India and then came to the United States. And yet they were very, very supportive of this. I just want to hear more about that and your family and Bangalore and what they think of all of this.
Simran Patil (26:09):
Yeah. I was born in Bangalore, and then as a baby, I moved to New Zealand with my family, and then we moved to California, and then we pretty much moved all around the U.S. between California, Illinois, and Arizona, just because my parents' jobs, they had consulting jobs and project management, which just kept us moving. But they were very supportive because, I mean, they're very patriotic. They came to the U.S. and realized how many opportunities it provided us.
Simran Patil (26:40):
And then seeing something like a service academy that is completely free, our entire education, four year education, is paid for and it's a fantastic education. They thought there couldn't be anything better for me. And then, like I said before, my dad, he went to a high school in India that was very similar to West Point. And so he understood the kind of benefits that provided that upon graduation. He wanted that for me, and he wanted me to have a strong set of morals, ethics, character. He knew West Point or any service academy would provide me all of that.
Simran Patil (27:18):
And then my family in India, I mean, they're all very proud. They look at my uncle, who's in the Indian Army, he's actually a Lieutenant General in the Indian Army, so they kind of see me as following his footsteps. They're very proud and they love it.
Soniya Gokhale (27:34):
Well, we are as well. I mean really, and that's part of why I wanted to interview you for this. And I want to find out what you are doing now. You are in the U.S. Army. And if you can update us on what's next and what you're currently doing?
Simran Patil (27:49):
Yeah, absolutely. Going into the army as a Second Lieutenant is kind of scary because you don't know really anything about the army. I mean, you know a little bit, because you go to BOLC, which is that branch specific course. But other than that, you don't know too much. I come in as a Second Lieutenant, and I'm given the job of maintenance control officer for the battalion. This is a very pretty difficult job that's generally reserved for a senior lieutenants. They trusted me with a very difficult job. I don't know why. Definitely a steep learning curve. I came into the job and I felt very behind.
Simran Patil (28:34):
And in the army, you have officers and you have NCOs, which are like your counterparts, and they've served a lot longer than you have. I was with my counterpart. He'd been in the army for 20 years, so he knew the army very well. And here I was, having to make all of these big decisions. I had to brief at these big meetings, and I didn't know a lot. I would go home and then I would pretty much Google my job to try to learn more. It's not a great feeling not knowing a lot, but it's nice having those NCOs with so much experience. You just have to be able to ask them any questions you have.
Simran Patil (29:14):
I asked my NCO counterpart constantly questions, and he was great. I mean, he helped me so much. And eventually I became I wouldn't say an expert, but I learned so much in that job. I would say I became pretty good at it. I did that for about 10 months, and then I got moved up to the executive officer of my company. So I was the XO. And basically the XO oversees maintenance for the company, any sort of supply transactions, day-to-day operations, kind of that kind of stuff. You're pretty much the right hand to the company commander. I did that for another six months.
Simran Patil (29:54):
Recently I just became the brigade adjutant. In this job, I work with the brigade command team. It's a brigade commander, who's a colonel, and then the brigade sergeant major, which is very, very cool because I'm working at a much higher level than most lieutenants work at. I get to see how these higher echelons think and plan and to work, and both of these leaders are probably the best leaders I've ever interacted with. I'm learning so much in this job I'm in right now. That's where I am now. I think next I'm thinking about applying to be an aide-de-camp, which is basically like a general's assistant.
Simran Patil (30:39):
You basically just follow a general around and you take notes for him or her. I think that would be a really rewarding job to have next, but obviously it's a very competitive job, so we will see.
Soniya Gokhale (30:54):
Well, it sounds like if anyone is a candidate, you certainly would be part of that pool. That's my humble opinion. And I was going to ask you as well, do you see grad school in your future? Do you see work in the private sector? I keep saying this because we could use some of what you're learning these skills. Just a general outlook is so desperately needed, not only in my opinion in politics, but also in the private sector in general. But really the sky's the limit for you. I know you're young and you have an amazing future ahead of you, but any thoughts on that?
Simran Patil (31:30):
Right now I'm not entirely sure if I want to make a career out of the army or get out, but I do at least want to take company command, which would be eight years in the army, so about five to six more years in the army until I take company command. So that's the [inaudible 00:31:48]
Soniya Gokhale (31:50):
I know it will go quickly. I mean, because that is not very much longer. Well, we will be keeping an eye on this, and we really cannot thank you enough for joining us today. Simran Patil, it is such an inspiring story, and I really hope that people listen to this and just recognize that anything is possible. Thank you so much.
Simran Patil (32:09):
Thank you for having me, Soniya.
Soniya Gokhale (32:11):
Thank you.