Future defenders of our nation, Class of ’25
FHS Military Day has 7 recognized
To honor them, the school held a Military Signing Day in the school library Thursday morning, March 13.
Junior Ethan Giles Levy and senior Andrew Keely have joined the U.S. Army National Guard while junior Kat Lewis joined the Army Reserves and senior Isaiah Stafford-Hedge joined the Army.
Seniors Ruby Manning and David Mills joined the U.S. Navy and senior Isaac Vann joined the U.S. Marine Corps.
“Near and dear to my heart, and near and dear to every American’s heart, should be the young men and young women who decide to say ‘I’m going to put my name on the dotted line, I’m going to go through training, I’m going to wear the uniform and I’m going to serve our country,’” said FHS principal Dr. John Bartlett, a U.S. Marine Reservist. “They do so knowing that their country can call on them to put them in harm’s way while they are wearing that uniform.”
However, “There are benefits to that,” he said. “They are going to get some things that most young people won’t get without going in the military.
“But they’re putting their lives on the line from day one and they know that,” Bartlett added. “And, it’s honorable service.
“It’s honorable to say, ‘Hey, I’m here to serve others.’ And, if there’s anything we can do as a school, that we can do as a country, it is to instill the heart of service into our young people. So, I’m very, very proud of our students today. I’m very proud of your young men and women who say, ‘Hey, this idea of serving others, serving our nation and keeping our country safe and secure,’ I’m very proud of that.
Also praising the previous generation, “I’m very proud that you (students) had this instilled in you by your parents and hopefully being reinforced by your school,” Bartlett said.
He explained there was no actual document for the students to sign because they already signed with their respective branch and took the oath.
“They’re just ready to ship off to basic training,” he said.
Along with joining the Army National Guard, Levy and Keely will receive 100 percent tuition assistance in college all the way up to a master’s degree.
Keely, who will start as a private first class, is going to be a 68 Whiskey combat medic, and Levy, also a private first class, will be a 13 Bravo crewmember.
While joining the Guard was not his first option, Levy said he wanted to join the Marines.
“But I just wanted to join as quickly as possible and this was just the best route,” he said. He plans to do active duty after finishing his contract with the National Guard.
“The Army Guard plays a unique roll,” Bartlett said. “Not only are they serving their country as Army Reservists, but they serve our state in natural disasters or any time the state calls on them.”
Lewis, who enlisted as a private first class, will join the 68 Whiskey as a combat medic under the split option program and will be going to basic training this summer. Once she graduates from FHS, she will get medical training.
Stafford-Hedge, 19, “is going to be a 91 Bravo in the Army,” Army SSgt. Carlos Cuebas said. “That’s a wheel vehicle mechanic. He’s going to be leaving off in May. Once he gets out, he will be a full-time veteran at 22 years of age. He’ll have veteran benefits.
“The biggest thing, when he came to me, he said he wanted something he could do with his hands, something that could certify him a trade to last his entire life,” the staff sergeant added about Stafford-Hedge.
“When I was graduating high school in December, I was looking at going to a trade school,” Stafford-Hedge said.
However, he added all the jobs required apprenticeships with two- to five-years experience to be hired, so he looked at the Army.
“I had about a 35- to 40-minute phone call with my recruiter and … I told him the 95 Bravo (vehicle mechanic) sounded the best to me,” the graduated senior said.
“Ruby and David have worn their behinds out to get where they are now,” Navy Gunnery Sgt. Craig Cooper said of Manning and Mills. “They stayed in ROTC their entire time in high school. They looked toward going into the military, talked about college for a little bit.
“They’re both going to do great things,” he added.
“Every since I went into ROTC, it just helped me go through the path I wanted to do: to bettering myself and help people,” said Manning, who plans to be an aviation handler on the flight deck.
About being a Marine, “one of the most defining moments in my life was when I got off the bus at Paris Island (boot camp for Marines) and had to stand on the yellow footprints,” Bartlett told Vann.
