Ready to serve
Six soon-to-be TAHS graduates have signed on to join the military after graduation and got a well-deserved ‘send-off’ from their fellow students last week
Six Tracy Area High School students are giving themselves the boot — as in boot camp.
And last Friday, they were the recipients of quite a send-off by their peers.
Similar to how student-athletes who go on to play a sport at the next level make news when they sign their National Letters of Intent, these six seniors have put paper to pen as they have made the commitment to join the Minnesota Army National Guard to serve their country.
TAHS GUIDANCE COUNSELOR ALEX GREENWAY was presented a plaque recognizing the school last week by Minnesota Army National Guard Recruiter Sgt. 1st Class Matt Persons.
Last week’s event marked the first time students headed to the military have been publicly celebrated.
Students Chance Birman, Hadyn Ohman, Dalton Timmerman, Troy Gillette, Tshangwa Yang and Mason Anderson will begin their training in Montevideo before joining their respective units.
“There doesn’t have to be one single reason that has to be your push to want to do this,” said Sgt. 1st Class Matt Persons, a recruiter out of Marshall. “Some do it for the college benefits, some want to do it for service to country, their state, their community. There is no wrong answer when it comes to that.”
Gillette said he appreciates that the school took the time to recognized him and his classmates.
“I think it’s nice that we can not just have the people that are going straight to college, but the people that are going to the Army involved in this as well,” he said. “Usually you just see the people who are going (to college) to play sports, so it’s nice to be included.”
Gillette plans to eventually attend college at Minnesota State, Mankato. After training, it’s off to Ft. Leonardwood, MO, for basic training.
Yang also liked the fact that his high school recognized the six students.
“I’ve always been the one watching from the bleachers; getting a round of applause was a little different — it was awesome though,” said Yang, who is also destined for Ft. Leonardwood before hitting the road to Georgia in September.
Anderson said getting a send-off was a good feeling and affirmed he made the right choice. He will eventually find himself at Ft. Jackson in South Carolina.
“I’m a little nervous, but at the end of the day, it just has to be done —Somebody’s gotta do it,” he said. “We’ve gotta stand up for freedom. Most people are probably kind of scared or they have medical issues, so they can’t do what we’re doing.”
Like Anderson, Ohman said the recognition he and his military-bound classmates got Friday affirmed his decision.
“It makes me feel like I made the right choice,” Ohman said. “There were times when I was like, ‘Is this really what I want to do?’ But now that I am officially joined, I made the right decision.”
That doesn’t mean he’s not a bit nervous about moving on. But that’s not necessarily different than any high schooler leaving home, where it be for the military or college.
“Leaving my family for an extended period of time,” Ohman said is one cause for his nerves.
Ohman will attend basic at Fort Sill in Oklahoma.
Persons said in the 10 years he’s been recruiting, there has never been this many students joining in Guard from one class.
“We’ve been wanting to recognize these students more with these signing days,” he said,” just to give them recognition for the sacrifices they’ve given to their country and their state. A lot of them have had the desire to serve since they were younger. They all get to leave this summer, so that will be a good experience for them.”
