Author: Capt. Tom McClelland U.S. Navy (Ret.)

One important habit that Ashley Patterson Beaty learned by attending military school at Admiral Farragut Academy: Don’t overlook the details. “There were rules to abide by with demerit consequences,” says Ashley, class of ‘02, who now handles government relations for a clean energy company in Washington, D.C. “For example, black socks were required while in uniform. I initially thought this was totally arcane and with open defiance I wore leopard print socks resulting in two demerits. I was infuriated. But I never got another demerit after that. It was a lesson learned: Details matter, sometimes even for … socks.” Farragut, ...