Photo By Master Sgt. Paul Meeker | Pvt. Jessica Renee Duplantis shares her enthusiasm with family and friends at a...... read more read more
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By Sgt. 1st Class Paul Meeker
Louisiana Army and Air National Guard
COVINGTON, La. – Family and friends of one new Louisiana Army National Guard recruit gathered Sunday to celebrate three of her significant accomplishments: graduating from the LANG's Youth Challenge Program, earning her GED and enlisting in the LANG's 415th Military Intelligence Battalion.
Pvt. Jessica R. Duplantis, 17, graduated third in her class in Sept. 2008 at the Youth Challenge Program in Carville, La., but was not able to fully appreciate the import of this success because her class's graduation ceremony was cancelled due to Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. Nevertheless, her experience in YCP convinced Jessica that she wanted to pursue a military career as a member of the LANG. She followed through on this dream by swearing in, Jan. 9.
At a reception hosted by her parents, Anna M. Ricks and Malcolm L. Ricks, in her family's Covington, La., home, Duplantis shared a little about her motivation to excel in life and in the military.
"I have a future for myself. I have goals. I have dreams. I have ambitions and working towards them is very empowering. I feel like God has put this huge fire inside me to become everything I can be. I may not know something about everything and I'll probably never know everything about something, but I'm capable of learning anything and just striving toward that and being in the Army – there are just so many doors that are open; so many things that I can accomplish," she said.
Her mother said that she was not surprised by Duplantis' recent successes, noting that since birth her daughter had always been "large and in charge." Her step-father echoed this sentiment adding that growing up she was "very strong-willed" and would succeed at whatever she attempted.
Duplantis' National Guard recruiter, Staff Sgt. Michael I. Davila, recognized her accomplishments by formally presenting her with her graduation and GED certificates. Davila shared with the guests some of the qualities that the new recruit demonstrated throughout her YCP term.
"She's very intelligent and she's very thoughtful. I saw right away that she's got a future," said Davila.
Duplantis backed up this endorsement by reciting the entire Soldier's Creed without error for her guests. Davila remarked that all recruits learn the Soldier's Creed in training, but Duplantis was the first he had recruited that memorized it before training. It was this kind of ambition and attention to detail that convinced Davila that he had a very special Solider to mentor.
Duplantis will begin the LANG's Recruit Sustainment Program at Camp Villere, La., next month and then begin basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., in August. She will receive advanced training at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., and at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, Calif.
| Date Taken: | 01.13.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 01.13.2009 12:35 |
| Story ID: | 28793 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 693 |
| Downloads: | 488 |
This work, Family honors outstanding new National Guard enlistee - Recruit is recent Youth Challenge Program graduate, by MSG Paul Meeker, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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