Kate Young, Senior Staff Writer
Not all seniors follow the college or vocational route common amongst their peers. Some choose a uniform over a university.
This year, eleven graduating seniors will be leaving Gillette behind for either San Diego, California or Paris Island, South Carolina to become a part of the strongest of the strong, the Marines.
These seniors, lead by their recruiter Sgt. Jacody Reavis, have been pushing themselves mentally and physically to prepare for the shock of boot camp. The first question they encounter after choosing the life of a Marine, is most often, “Why?”
“I have two brothers in the Marines, and they are my heroes,” Alessandra Shepard said. “I look up to them, they’re the reason I joined.”
Sheppard is one of the two female recruits this year.
“So many told me that females couldn’t do it, that they weren’t mentally ready or physically able,” Katherine Demumbrum said, the other female recruit. “I wanted to prove that we could. It’s also for all the people who couldn’t join because of restrictions, I’m fighting for them.”
DeMumbrum took the challenge of the Marines, and even though she can’t join the Infrantry because she’s a woman, she will be joining the Military Police.
“The Marines has good benefits, I wanted to serve my county, and I had family in the military,” Jordan Thompson said. “My grandpa was in the Army and he told my to go with the Marines first.”
“I’ve always wanted to do it since I was knee-high to a grasshopper,” Arron Kelsey said, who will be joining the diesel mechanic branch. “I would watch videos on Vietnam. They were fighting for our freedom and I knew that is what I wanted to do with my life.”
Kelsey’s mother, who was in the Army, has been helping him prepare for his new life with advice about boot camp.
“They will push you to muscle failure and then push you farther,” Kelsey said.
Thinking of boot camp and training seems to be the only thing that the recruits can’t prepare for.
“If you’re not scared, that’s not good,” Dan Harris said.
The truth stands, nothing can prepare you for boot camp. The running, the training, the yelling; there is nothing as strenuous as the Marine life.
“You’re never prepared for boot camp,” Adam Rice echoed.
“The Marine Corp recruit training is a lot harder than the rest,” Nate Ross said. “Marines are tough as you get.” His fellow recruits agree.
The question so many of these recruits have to ask themselves is if they want to live the life of a Marine for the rest of their lives. Are they ready to make the military their career? It depends on whom you ask.
“Maybe, if I like it after the first four years,” Rice said. His contract is for four years active, four years reserved, along with several of the other recruits.
“That’s what I’m planning on right now, but I’ll see what happens after four years,” Cody Kalfleish said. “I wanted to serve my country and I knew college wasn’t for me.”
“It was something I would like to do,” Tate Leplante said, whose interest for guns will help him excel as an Infantry Scout Sniper.
“I plan on staying the full 20 years,” Shepard said.
But not all of the recruits want a long life as a Marine; some know they have other paths in their future as well.
“It’s not going to be my career,” Harley Kalb said. “I want a career in Marine Biology, so this is just a stepping stone.”
“If I want to start a family I will get out,” Demumbrum said. “If I stayed it would cause complications for a stable family since military families move all the time.”
Many family members of these recruits seem to have mixed reactions to their children or siblings shipping out and serving their country.
“My dad was supportive, but my mom was hesitant as first, but she finally agreed,” Alex Green said.
“My mom was a little sketchy about it,” Thompson said. “She wants me to write her a lot while I’m at boot camp.”
Whatever their reasons were for joining, or their plans for the future, right now they are all in the same boat, recruits getting prepared for their next few years.
“We’re a big family, a big family of brothers and two sisters,” Kalb said. He enjoys the recruits’ weekly pool functions; gatherings where they work out and get prepared for boot camp.
“My favorite memory was marching in the rain down to the fishing lake,” Harris said. The recruits frequently march in two file lines to keep in shape.
These future fighters may be leaving soon, but they still have some advice for all of the younger ones who may be considering the Marines for their future.
“Join the Marine Corp,” Ross said.
“Go in with an open mind, stay out of trouble, and don’t get a tattoo,” Green said. His new tattoo of a flag and an eagle was large enough to delay his deployment.
“Go talk to Reavis, and stay physically fit,” Leplante said.
“Go for it, only if you’re committed,” Kalbfliesh said.
Some people are looking forward to graduation because they will soon be away from their parents or be on their own. For these current recruits and future Marines, they will be looking beyond mere graduation, but to when they ship out and begin serving their country. Good luck, Marines. Sempre Fi!