The Student News Site of Orono High School

The Spartan Speaks

The Student News Site of Orono High School

The Spartan Speaks

The Student News Site of Orono High School

The Spartan Speaks

Students explore and accept pathways other than college, Militeens

Students+explore+and+accept+pathways+other+than+college%2C+Militeens

In 2011, 2.3 million people served in the armed forces, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. Orono is sending 4 high school students into the armed forces after graduation, 2 students into the armed forces after college, due to training from the ROTC program.

Seniors Alex Suess, AJ Fossum, Colin Lueck and Michael Larson will be sent into the armed forces after graduation. 70 percent of military recruits come straight out of high school.

“You know how everyone has their right school, well, that is how I felt with the Air Force,” said Fossum.

Suess, Lueck and Larson will be entering the Army, while Fossum will enter the Air Force. For Army training, each student will face three phases.

There is red phase, where teamwork, first aid, team development courses, confidence courses and land navigation are the focus.

White phase, where the emphasis is based on the individual through confidence courses including how to use the rifle as well as other military weapons. The last phase is blue, of which training is a combination of both the red and white phases.

“I have always wanted to join the armed forces ever since I was young. I want to experience what not many people have been able to experience… I have always been one of those people who has been interested in seeing what I am made of, my personal strengths and the army as well as any branch, can and does that,” said Suess.

“We read about wars all the time in history, and I want to look back in my past and be like, ‘I did that, I was at that battle’.”

In a poll of 70 OHS students, 13 percent stated that high school students were too young to make the decision to serve. Half of this 13 percent claimed that the reasoning behind their answer was due to the fact that high school students are too young and “impulsive” to make such a life-changing decision.

In order to fulfil this life changing decision, students must first pass a test called the ASVAB, which stands for the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery.

It is a basic knowledge test given to recruits prior to enlistment. It is sometimes compared to the standardized SAT or ACT tests for getting into college.

Some people feel as though the military is easy to get into. However, the military holds high standards academically and physically for all of those enlisted.
Recruits must score at least a 31 out of 99 on the first stage of the three-hour test to get into the Army.

The Marines, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard recruits need higher scores.

“I don’t care if you’re a soldier carrying a backpack or someone sitting in a college lecture, the things we expect out of our military members requires a very, very well educated force,” said Sgt. Morrison, air force recruiting officer.

Seniors joining the ROTC program include: Taylor Peterson, who is attending Marquette University and Josh Surver, who will be attending the University of St. Thomas.

While students entering the military have influences made from family involvement, not everyone is convinced to join based on this idea.“ I started thinking about joining the military after playing video games,“ said Surver.

Surver’s family has mixed views about him entering the armed forces. While his father is skeptical, his grandfather, who also served in the military, has great admiration for Josh’s decision to join. His mother is undecided, because she realizes that the end decision to join is Josh’s since his is 18 years of age.

Graduated 2012 senior Emily Meyer, who is currently attending University of North Dakota said that, “it is physically, mentally, and yes, emotionally demanding, but is worth the effort to become an officer in the United States Air Force.”

Taylor Peterson, Editor in Chief and Zach Wagner-Lund, Staff Reporter, wrote this article for The Spartan Speaks.Photo/ Printed from the Fort Leonard Wood, MO  book documenting recruit training from the United States Army. Used with permission from Alex Suess.

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