ROTC to the Military

Jasmine Moreno, Reporter

There are a lot of things you could do after graduation. Some continue their education by going off to college. Some go right into the work force to help their family with the bills. Others go into the Military.

 

There are multiple reasons to enroll into the Military: to serve your country or to pay for college, for example. Whatever that reason may be, do you actually know what you’re getting yourself into? Sure, you had some training from ROTC but it’s not the same as the actual enlistment.

 

What would you expect the Military to be like?

 

“I expect being in the Marines to be sort of easy since I’ve already been through ROTC but still challenging in some ways,” said Edgar Varela, a sophomore in ROTC planning to join the Marines.

 

No matter the training from ROTC it doesn’t compare to the actual thing.

 

“It’s a real shock when you get there, cause everything you do has an exact purpose behind it. It’s really shocking, I expected it to be really fast and just being able to go right though it. Takes a lot longer than you think,” said Alexis Armstrong, graduate of the 2014 North High School class who’s experienced what it’s actually like to be a Marine.
 
You must have dedication and both mental and physical strength to handle everything the Military throws at you.
 
Even though being a Marine isn’t the easiest career to pursue, what pushes people to join?
 
“Gunny and Major always told me that if you really want something it’s supposed to scare you. You’re supposed to want to back out. That’s how you know deep inside that you’re going to succeed,” Armstrong said after her recap on how she thought about backing out.
 
There might be people who want you to join the Military, but the only person who can push you into it is yourself.
 
“My motivation is to make my family proud. I don’t want to be like my dad, I want to actually do something with my life,” said Varela.
 
Whether or not a person decides to enlist in high school or later in life, a lot of thought is put into it. The emotions felt by not only you but also your family and friends. Don’t just enlist because you feel like it. Put thought into it, what will come out of it and why you’re enlisting.