Military recruits students, staff reflect on experiences

Name Jason Carr-Keefe. Which branch do you plan on joining? Army. Have you swore in yet? Yes, I swore in back in November. What Military Occupation Specialty (MOS) will you be doing there?  I enlisted as a Combat Medic so my MOS number is 68w. How long do you plan on serving?  I leave for basic training on June 20 for Fort Jackson, and I will be there for nine weeks. After that I will be at Fort Sam and/or Fort Houston in Texas about 16 weeks for my special medical training stuff D...

Name Riggs Neff Which branch do you plan on joining? Marines. Have you swore in yet? No, I plan on doing that after school. What Military Occupation Specialty will you be doing there?  31b, Military Police. Why that branch?  It’s the hardest branch. I feel like it would push me more. And to help out others.  How long do you plan on serving?  Four years, two years active, two years reserve. Do you have a...

Name? Devin Heaton Which branch do you plan on joining? Army Have you swore in yet? Yes, it would’ve been January. What Military Occupation Specialty will you be doing there?  Cavalry Scout. Why that branch?  They just had a lot of options to offer for me. It seemed like a better fit.  How long do you plan on serving? Four years active, four years reserve, so eight years total  Do you have any plans on furthering your educat...

Name  Veronica Skomra What was your highest rank?  I completed my duties as a Sergeant when I left the Army in 2011. Which branch were you in?  I was in the Army Reserves. What Military Occupation Specialty did you have? I was a 92a, the big term is Automated Logistical Specialist.  Why did you choose that branch?  I didn’t have to do full time military because I didn’t really...

Name Andrew Neely What was your highest rank? When my enlistment was over, I achieved the rank of Petty Officer Second Class, which is E-5 Which branch were you in?  Navy  What rate did you have?  I was an Electronics Technician. Why did you choose that branch?  I chose the navy for a couple reasons. One, at the time, I was interested in possibly pursuing a job with some sort of technol...

Name  Mark Petrarca What was your highest rank?  Captain Which branch were you in?  Army Intelligence Service. What Military Occupation Specialty did you have?  Well, I had two jobs. My first job was an Intelligence Analyst  for the National Security Agency, which required a top-secret clearance. I did one year in the Eastern European branch, and I did two years in the Central Am...

Name  Donald Dull What was your highest rank?  I was a Sergeant, that’s E-5. Which branch were you in?  I was in the United States Marine Corp. What Military Occupation Specialty did you have?  3521, which was an Automotive Mechanic. I fixed vehicles from motorcycles to all the way up to 22 ½ ton tractor-trailers and everything in between. Why did you choose that b...

Name  Ken Balough What was your highest rank?  First Lieutenant. Which branch were you in?  Army Transportation Corp. What Military Occupation Specialty did you have?  I was a Transportation Officer.  Why did you choose that branch?  When I was in college, they had a Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program, and the major at the college came up and said, ‘hey do you want to apply for an ROTC scholarship?’ I didn’t think I’d get it, and I expressed that. He said, ‘why don’t you...

Name  Jeffery Shultz What was your highest rank?  Lieutenant Colonel Which branch were you in?  Army Reserves  What Military Occupation Specialty did you have?  I’m an Infantry Officer; I've been an infantry guy my whole career Why did you choose that branch?  Circumstances dictated. I was looking for college money actually and who was offering the best deal on college money. I thought I would do my six years and get out. That was 30 years ago. How long ago did you serve? January 1992 How did you end up becoming a teacher after serving? Was that your initial plan aft...

Name  Eric Hoover What was your highest rank?  Specialist, E-4. Which branch were you in?  It was the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. What Military Occupation Specialty (MOS) did you have?  12b, Combat Engineer . Why did you choose that branch?  I came out of high school, and I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I knew that I liked the Army, and it was something I always wanted to do ever since I was a little kid. My father was in Vietnam, and I just thought that I wanted to b...