“I’m enlisting into the military tomorrow. You have to be at least 17 and a junior, and I’m enlisting into the National Guard. I’m going to be doing Split Opt., which is where this summer I’ll be going to basic training, and then I’ll come back to do my senior year of school. I will do training one week and a month, and then once I graduate, I will go to MOS and AIT training. MOS is for like the job that you choose. So, I am choosing to become a MP, which is Military Police. Once I graduate, I will be going to a 10-week training program for that. I’m planning on staying enlisted for 20 years so that I can retire at 37. I’m excited but scared. You never know what’s going to happen. National Guard is where they protect home turf. They, for the most part, stay in the United States, but let’s say there’s a war, and they call in Navy, Air Force, Army, Marines and they have nobody else to call in, and still need help. Then they will call in the National Guards, so there is a possibility that I could still get deployed whether I want to or not. My parents are very proud of me. My dad, I’m pretty sure this is the proudest he’s ever been of me, but there’s some people that think I’m crazy for joining the military at 17. For the most part, everybody is really proud of me excited for me, and happy for me.”