Fall in, fall out

By Wesley Bogard

Harlan Community Academy

Although many teenagers learn about joining the military from the media and recruitment officers, hearing the stories of the veterans themselves is rarer.

According to Mike Scheck, the public affairs specialist for the Chicago Recruiting Battalion, 74,500 people were recruited for the Army in 2010, and 65,000 in 2009. The average age of people recruited in 2009 was 22, and 83.3 percent of those recruited were men.

Harlan Community Academy junior Brandon Watkins said he would not mind joining the military because it would provide him a chance to mature.

“[I] heard the service is really good for opportunities,” Watkins said.

Like Watkins, 53-year-old Navy veteran John Jakoby wanted to join the military for its potential opportunities. He joined in 1975 because he could not afford college. He planned to stay for four years and then go back to school. However, four years led to a retirement in 1999. During his service, Jakoby traveled to many countries, including Italy, the Persian Gulf, Japan and Korea. Some of his jobs included operations specialist and drill instructor.

Jakoby said the military is special in that it was the first to integrate the races and the sexes.

“The military is the guinea pig for U.S. society,” he said.

Unlike Watkins, 16-year-old Raven Robertson would not want to join the military. She said she  does not like the violence and guns that accompany the military.

Army Reserves veteran Jenny McDonald can attest to the violence that soldiers often experience. The 27-year-old joined the military when she was 17 because it was one of her childhood dreams.  She can remember watching Memorial Day programs with her father, who also liked the military.

“It was always a respected thing in my household,” McDonald said.

McDonald was a prison guard during the Iraq War. Although she was never in direct firefights, she said there was always fighting around her. Her responsibilities included guarding prisoners who were previously members of Saddam Hussein’s army.

McDonald was forced to leave Iraq when she suddenly fell sick.

“I kinda felt like a traitor for leaving,” she said.

Although her time in the military came with challenges, McDonald said she doesn’t regret it.

“I’ve met people and seen things most people never had,” she said. “The whole experience made me more aware and more grateful for everything.”

Despite their own experiences, Jakoby, McDonald and Chicago Recruiting Battalion’s Sgt. Delrio each have their own advice for teenagers who are contemplating joining the military.

Delrio said the military does provide opportunities and one of the biggest misconceptions about the military is that everyone goes to war.

However, Jakoby, despite being proud of his involvement in the military, said he would advise every young person to stay in school no matter what.

McDonald has both negative and positive outlooks on her military experience. Although she said her experience has made her a stronger person, she advises teenagers to research and know exactly what they’re getting into before they sign up.

“I can’t relate to people the way I did before going,” she said. “Changing back’s hard. And you never really do; you still cling to it.”