With the cost of college becoming more of an obstacle for students and their families, a military career has become a viable choice for many students. At Alliance High School, a few brave students have chosen to take the path of discipline and service and have joined the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces. This path provides a steady income, discipline, and the potential to later go to college for free.
After graduation AHS will send: Jacob Mills to the Air Force, Nick Pollack and Jared Hawley to the Army, and Adrian Madero and Andy Nunes to the Marines.
In his case, Andy decided he would go to the military in kindergarten, but wasn’t sure about which branch until 8th grade. Nunes says he just always knew he should join, in fact, he believes everyone should serve in the military in some point in his life. Andy officially enlisted in the Marines in September, 2011.
Nick Pollack, enlisted in the Army as an EOD, (explosive ordinance disposal specialist) joined because a childhood friend of his joined. His friend had great stories from his time in the Army, and Nick really respected what his friend was and the experience he had.
Jared Hawley, future Airborne Ranger, wanted to start the rest of his life with a good foundation and a respectable job.
Jake Mills says, “I wasn’t ready for college.” He joined the Air Force because his mom’s family has a history of being in the Air Force. He will either be a SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape) specialist or pararescue, which means he will be in the field of personnel recovery. He suggests the military to anyone who is not ready for college, so that when you fianlly are, it will all be paid for.
Adrian Madero chose the Marines because his brother was a Marine from 200-2004. While his brother was in the military, Adrian really looked up to him as his hero and wanted to follow in his footsteps. He chose Marine Security Forces, where he will receive higher training to guard American positions. On top of that, the military will pay of college, and it provides experience that cannot be found anywhere else, which will give him an edge when he seeks a career as a police officer.
When Madero originally swore in, he had a great sense of pride, and all of his friends and family were very proud of him. Even though everyone was proud of him, he ultimately joined for himself.
The military obviously isn’t a breeze and being a soldier in any branch takes a great deal of effort, determination, and perhaps more work than many high school students are even ready for. Even non-combat roles still require boot camp, which is not an easy pass into the military, and even the shortest camp requires seven weeks of constant work, though the benefits of military service reach far.
The basic benefit is salary and military compensation breaks down into two components; base pay, or the pay that is the same across all branches and increases according to rank and time in service, and special pays, which depends on what one does specifically for the military.
In the addition to the compensation comes a superior system of education support. The tuition assistance program means the military will pay up to 100 percent of all college tuition for classes taken during or after service, and it even offers certain military training as college credit. However, the most beneficial college benefit the military offers is the GI Bill, which will pay for tuition and fees that do not exceed that of the highest public in-state undergraduate (4-year) degree. Living expenses are paid up to the amount of housing for an active member in that zip code, in addition to a $1,000 dollar allowance per year for books and supplies.
After service and college, veterans are usually a first-pick in the job industry. For instance, to support the military, the BNSF Railroad prefers to hire a veteran over someone with the same credentials who has no military experience. Having a military background shows a level of devotion that most civilians cannot compare to. On top of being a first-pick in the job market, laws are being passed and government action has been taken to encourage and promote the employment of veterans. With a recession that seems to be carrying on forever, a military career is a definite positive.
