A total of 537,187 recent high school graduates were actively serving in the military in 2008 according to NCES.gov. This year, several WHS students will add to this number as they enlist to serve after they graduate. Many of them, who have various inspirations for joining the military, will be leaving during the summer to attend boot camp and begin their journey.

“A lot of my family served and inspired me in the long run to join,” senior Kyle Woosley said.
Although Woosley chose to join because of his family, senior Alicia Ley has a different reason.

​ ​“I​ ​saw​ ​a​ ​guy​ ​doing​ ​push-ups​ ​once​ ​and​ ​it​ ​was​ ​really​ ​inspiring​ ​because​ ​he​ ​never​ ​stopped,
and​ ​I​ ​thought​ ​it​ ​was​ ​really​ ​cool​ ​and​ ​I​ ​was​ ​like,​ ​‘Wow,​ ​I​ ​want​ ​to​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​do​ ​that,’” Ley said. “​So​ ​then​ ​I​ ​enlisted​ ​in the​ ​Marine​ ​Corps.”

A lot of decisions for life after high school must be made during senior year, and college isn’t always a student’s first choice as some may not want the expenses of college weighing on their shoulders.

“I needed something to do after high school and didn’t want to pay for college,” senior Richard Fields said.

Instead of choosing their best-fit college, these students are choosing what branch they want to serve in.

“I’m going into the Navy and I want to be a Navy Seal, but if I don’t get into the Seals I have a job as Master at Arms,” senior Austin Gaebe said. “[Master at Arms] is basically high security and you get a canine with it, which would be really cool.”

With or without a canine, students are still finding benefits to joining the military.

“The opportunity inspired me,” Woosley said. “I wanted to further my education, but I didn’t like the idea of student loans, so the military became an idea.”

These students will be furthering their education and protecting their country, which is something a lot of young adults can’t say they do.

“I’m​ ​going​ ​to​ ​be​ ​in​ ​motor​ ​transport,” Ley said​. “​I’ll​ ​be​ ​driving​ ​the​ ​humvees​ ​and​ ​delivering troops​ ​and​ ​supplies, ​and​ ​then​ ​I​ ​eventually​ ​want​ ​to​ ​become​ ​a​ ​linguist​ ​and​ ​study​ ​Arabic.”

While this is a big decision for students, it is ultimately a decision they have to make for themselves, even if it is unexpected.

“I didn’t always plan to join,” Woosley said, “and if you would’ve told me a year ago I would be enlisting, I would’ve laughed and said no way.”