Answer: It seems very unlikely that Wes, the author, could have acquired his discipline and motivation without the assistance of others.
Explanation: Consider the sacrifices his mother made to put him in the military school and the influence of the other cadets and his squad leader had on him to help him learn how to make good decisions. It took a considerable effort on the part of those others in Wes's life to steer him out of the path he had been on in his earlier life-- so similar to that of the Other Wes.