Photo By Spc. Richard Carlisi | Students from Gig Harbor High School and Peninsula High School, both located in Gig...... read more read more
Hospitals. High schoolers. Oh my!
Students from Gig Harbor High School and Peninsula High School in Gig Harbor, Wash., recently visited U.S. Army professionals from America’s First Corps to tour their facilities and to ask questions about a career in military service.
The day began with a Madigan Army Medical Center tour, with opening remarks by Col. Hope M. Williamson-Younce, the hospital’s commander.
“Be confident in your own self-worth,” said Williamson-Younce. “The military can afford you a steady paycheck, housing, and many other great benefits, all from becoming whatever you want to be. I’ve been in the military for forty years, and it is by far the single best decision I have ever made.”
Students received a behind-the-scenes tour of the hospital’s laboratory and pharmacy, observing firsthand the oversight, preparation, and administration of blood products and the process of filling prescriptions.
The tour continued with a tour of the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, where students witnessed close-up views of the Boeing AH-64 Apache and Sikhorsky UH-60 Black Hawk.
“It’s important for these students to realize there are lucrative incentives for joining,” said Sgt. 1st Class Cecilia Ayala, station commander for U.S. Army Recruiting Station in Port Orchard, Wash. “Individuals can receive up to $50,000 in bonuses, with some as simple as reporting to basic training within thirty days of enlistment. I always tell students it’s a really good deal straight out of high school.”
Students then experienced the culinary delights at Courage Inn Dining Facility with assorted hot meals, beverages, and desserts, courtesy of the culinary specialists attached to the 593rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command.
Josh Pelczar, a Gig Harbor High School senior, aspires to become an infantry or artillery officer through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.
“My goal is to become an officer, but there are so many perks I was unaware of,” said Pelczar. “For instance, I didn’t know the Army could pay for me to become a truck driver or even a certified commercial diver. Today’s tour reassured me that wherever my career takes me, the Army will help take care of me.”
Students had ample opportunities to converse with and learn from those in uniform about the many available career opportunities to inform their decision of whether to pursue military service better.
“The Army is not an end; it is a beginning,” said Lt. Gen. Xavier Brunson, commanding general of America’s First Corps, at another event sponsoring local educators. “I always tell young Soldiers to finish their first term and then decide what they want to do from there.”
The Army is a pathway to prosperity where people can serve in various specialties, see the world, continue their education, and make a difference. For more information about Army careers, visit www.goarmy.com/careers.
| Date Taken: | 01.15.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 01.23.2024 12:41 |
| Story ID: | 461848 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 57 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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