At just 22 years old, Spc. Aidan McGill, a Saint Paul native, and military police officer assigned to the Stillwater-based 34th Military Police Company, is making strides in both his personal and professional life.

McGill enlisted in June 2022, after his freshman year in college. Having graduated from Saint Thomas Academy, an all-boys catholic college preparatory and military high school, McGill realized something was missing in his life.

“I wanted that piece of me,” said McGill. “I really enjoyed the structure and brotherhood [from high school] and so I enlisted that summer, right between my freshman and sophomore years of college.”

McGill originally chose his military job as a police officer because he was interested in the field. He spent nearly five months at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri for one-station unit training.

“It was a humbling experience,” he said of initial entry training. “They definitely break you down, but they build you up even stronger.”

After returning home, McGill took a different path for his civilian career. This spring, he will graduate from the University of St. Thomas with a degree in business operations and supply chain management and a minor in business analytics. In June, he will begin an 18-month leadership development program with a large financial company, all while continuing to serve in the Minnesota National Guard.

Throughout his career, McGill’s drive for success has opened doors for him. In 2024, his leaders selected him to become the guidon-bearer for the 34th Military Police Company. This honor is typically given to the Soldiers with the highest Army Combat Fitness Test score. That achievement also presented the opportunity for him to apply for and ultimately attend the 52nd Norwegian Reciprocal Troop Exchange, known as NOREX, in Norway. The exchange is the longest-running military exchange partnership in the Department of Defense.

“It was the coolest Army experience I’ve ever had,” said McGill, who spent nearly two weeks living and training in the harsh Norwegian wilderness, sleeping in hand-made snow caves, skiing up mountains, pulling sleds, and learning winter survival skills from Norwegian service members. “I thought I knew the cold being from Minnesota, but I learned so much more, like how to layer; even how different fibers work. It was a totally different level of training.”

More than the physical challenge, McGill walked away from Norway with new relationships that continue to show up in surprising ways.

“I did the Norwegian Ruck [March] in Arden Hills,” said McGill. “I started pointing people out, ‘I went with him, her, him…’ it was incredible how many people I knew. Even [while supporting the] Best Warrior Competition, I ran into people from NOREX.”

For McGill, these relationships are central to his service. He credits noncommissioned officers above him for helping him grow. Though still early in his career, McGill is already starting to think like them.

“To me, the ‘Future Faces of the Force’ are those leaders, at any rank, who others look up to,” he said. “It’s about setting an example that others want to follow.”

McGill believes that discipline and consistency are the core to success.

“Consistency over time takes discipline,” he asked. “Staying involved, being a lifelong learner, that’s what’s worked for me.”

It is advice he often shares with friends considering joining the military.

McGill’s voice softens when he speaks about his fiancée, Brooke, who he will marry at the end of the month at the same church he grew up attending.

“I wouldn’t be able to do any of this without her,” he said. “She supports me emotionally, personally, and academically. She is the one pushing me to be the best version of myself.”

Story by Staff Sgt. Mahsima Alkamooneh
Minnesota National Guard