We salute the 27 members of the Missouri Highway Patrol's most recent graduating class. They are the ones who remained after a half year of rigorous training, and they're committed to uphold the patrol's motto: "Together protecting Missouri's citizens."
"In the past 26 weeks, recruits, you have undergone grueling training, endured exhausting hours and endured vast amounts of information," Attorney General Josh Hawley said at the Friday graduation ceremonies. "You have endured, and now you have the honor of being part of this prestigious company."
Their jobs won't always be easy. Switching from a private citizen to a Missouri trooper means changing your life and making sacrifices that don't come with most jobs. Being a trooper isn't easy on families, including each spouse who worries daily about their loved one's safety.
It's a high calling, but not everyone appreciates their work, as Hawley noted: "(Your calling) includes those who use the liberties granted by your protection, to treat you with scorn, to treat you with contempt - even hatred sometimes," the attorney general said. "It's no secret that we live in a moment in our nation's history when the rule of law and those who uphold it have become targets, subject to intense scrutiny, subject to intense back lash, even derision. And I'm afraid to say, you will most likely not be exempt from this trend."
Col. Sandra Karsten, the patrol's superintendent, reminded the graduates to rely on all the points of their training, including: "Never stop learning, never stop training (and) never stop planning for the what-if situations you may encounter."
Their vocation comes with a huge commitment - to protect Missourians, to uphold the public trust, and to represent their organization on duty and off duty. It's a calling that isn't suitable for many, and many who start the process don't finish it.
But for those who have, we salute you, we support you, and we wish you Godspeed in your journey.