Abort Mission, Abort High School!

Jayde Eubanks

Left, left, left, right, left. Attention! The time has come for a new wave of recruits from our very own Mascoutah High School to begin the military lifestyle. Tori Hodge, a Mascoutah High School cheerleading captain, leads the way as one of the few girls that enlisted into the United States military. “I chose to serve in the Air Force because I’ve wanted to join since I was a child. My dad was in the Navy and my mom was in the Air Force, so we’ve always been a strong military based family. The Air Force will pay for, if not all, most of my college and I won’t have to worry about paying it off later. I’ll also get to meet a whole lot of new people.”

Due to Mascoutah being located near Scott Air Force Base, it’s no wonder that the community is centered around the military. Most people in this area enlist into the Air Force, but every so often there are those who go outside of the box and choose to serve in a different branch. “The branch I am joining is the Marine Corps,” stated David Best. “I chose this branch because I want to serve my country. They instill pride in you and it is a challenge. Also, their uniforms are really nice. I am joining the military because I want to fight for my country. I’ve always wanted to enlist into the military and I decided to join the Marines at a young age. I think the military will benefit me because I will get to travel the world and receive free healthcare and dental care. I will also learn discipline and obtain a career in something I believe I will love to do for the rest of my life.”

Most students enter this school as children and leave as graduates, but some enter as children and leave as soldiers. Mascoutah High School couldn’t be any prouder, especially it’s teachers, and especially teachers who understand what these recruits are about to go through. This school is full of veterans who are now educators. For example, Mrs. Heard, in the Special Education department, once wore the uniform. “I served a total of six years in the Army National Guard” Mrs. Heard says. “One of those years was full-time active duty in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. I joined the military at 17 years old to help pay for my college tuition because the National Guard pays 100% tuition and also gives students a monthly GI Bill of 250.00. I gained so much from the military: strength, maturity, culture, friends from all walks of life, and leadership skills. I met my husband in the military as well and we lived in Fort Hood, Texas for a year. The one struggle I found difficult was dealing with the unknown of deployments and not being able to make long-term plans because I was never sure if my husband would be deployed or not. We both got out of the military so that we could have more control over our lives. My main job was brigade support on an administrative level. I worked in the command office, so my job was kind of "cushy". I wrote for the Brigade Newspaper, made official announcements, called on local television and newspapers to bring awareness to the happenings of the soldiers on a more local level, and many more jobs. On drill weekends, I was part of a team that conducted random drug tests and also counseled people on their life insurance before they deployed to Iraq.” Mrs. Heard then began to describe her journey as a recruit and the required physical to officially determine if she fit to serve. “Something interesting about my experience is that I went to basic combat training, while I was in high school. I went right after I finished my junior year. Then, I returned to finish high school to finish out my senior year, then left again for my MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) training the day after I graduated from high school. On my way to MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) in St. Louis to get a physical to join the military, my recruiter stopped at a Dairy Queen to get me a large blizzard because he was afraid I would not make the weight requirement for my height. The weight requirement was 100 pounds and I barely made it!”

The military life may not suit all of us, so it’s impressive when classmates we’ve attended school with for years announce that they are soon to be soldiers. Some students preparing to undergo military training are Christian Baumgartner (Air Force), Cody Hardin (Army), and Gabe Lameroux (Air Force). Mascoutah High School appreciates your dedication to join the United States’s Armed Forces. As a drill sergeant might say, “Carry on!”