Joining the military can be a difficult decision for anyone. It’s a very brave and honorable choice for a person to make. It’s close to the end of the year, and it’s time for seniors to graduate and move on to their future, and many seniors made the choice of joining the military.

The army is the largest branch of the military, and primarily fights on land. It’s the largest and most important government organization, and its purpose is to defend the American civilization. There are three different organizations to serve in the US Army: Active Duty, Army Reserve and the Army National Guard. Seniors Benjamin Byler, Emily Carl, Zachary Moser and Hunter Clatterbuck will be joining the US Army after high school.

“Ever since I was a kid, I have always wanted to help people, I just never knew how I was going to do it. I used to always tell my dad that I was going to join the military, but even I never thought I would actually go through with it,” Carl said.

The United States Marines is one of the most elite fighting forces in the world. The Marines are a part of the Department of the Navy and operate in close cooperation with US Naval forces at sea. Seniors Jareth Anderson and Evan Najmulski will be enlisting in the branch.

One of the largest naval branches in the world is the US Navy, a branch that is equipped for fighting wars on the oceans, seas, and even lakes and rivers of the world. The US Navy is the third largest branch in the US Military, and the lucky students that set sail are seniors Cameron Lord, Joseph Walker, Prachanthana Heng and Morgan Webb.

“I decided to join the military because there was a very low point in my life, and I wanted to be a change in the world and help other people. So that’s when the military caught my attention,” Heng said.

The United States Air Force is the aerial and space warfare service branch of the United States. This branch mainly fights in the air, space and cyberspace, and is also the youngest branch of the armed forces. Seniors Lily Marks and Montgomery Wilson will be enlisting as well.  

Senior Cameron Lord is very passionate about the military. He is going into the Navy and plans on being in Active Duty for 20+ years. Cameron would love to travel and see the world. He will be getting stationed anywhere in the world, which he finds exciting.

“I joined to see the world and because my father and my great grandfather were both chiefs. My time to plan for the military is a full ride. I would like to serve for 20 years of active duty as a CTN or cryptologic technician networker,” Lord said.

A CTN is a career in Computer Networks. Many duties connect with computer networks across the globe.

“[It is] cybersecurity and breaking into computers of our own government’s computers. This also includes protecting our networks from foreign nations,” Lord said.

Cameron will be going to Illinois for two months, and then to Florida for the following eight months for schooling. After that, he is unsure of where he will be sent. The military is a very powerful organization and is a privilege for anyone to be a part of. Many students are excited to be joining the military because they get to experience a very special moment in their life that they will never forget.