Photo By Sgt. Crystal Reidy | U.S. Army Pvt. Gustavo Wagner, 365th Signal Company, Arizona Army National Guard...... read more read more
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PHOENIX -- It is no surprise that anyone who spends four years in junior ROTC would later join the military, but for one high school student, joining the National Guard was the big surprise.
Since Pvt. Gustavo Wagner was a small boy he knew he wanted to be in the military.
He thought he would join the Army or Navy, but Wagner said his decision was made after meeting with an Army National Guard recruiter his junior year in high school.
“I could get an opportunity to multiple worlds by joining the Army National Guard so that I could be close to home, have a military life experience, and get a college degree so that I could see what life plan I wanted,” Wagner said.
Sgt. Taylor Heredia, B Company, recruiting and retention battalion explains why the National Guard is a great way to serve your community and country while going to school.
“It gives students certifiable skills and hands on experience while they are attending college,” said Sgt. Taylor Heredia
Wagner enlisted as a Signal Support Systems Specialist and will leave for basic training in the summer. Upon completion, he will be assigned to the 365th Signal Company.
“The thought of basic training scares me, yet at the same time it's exciting to see how I will do,” Wagner said.
Until then he will continue to attend high school and drill one weekend a month at the Recruit Sustainment Program. His one weekend a month will be spent training and preparing for basic training.
“My favorite part of the National Guard is the monthly physical training tests, because I can see how much I've improved,” Wagner says. “My second favorite part is lunch time because I can eat MRE's [meals ready to eat],” Wagner said.
Don’t be fooled by his simple answers of exercise and eating when referring to his thoughts on enlistment. He recently wrote a poem on the subject for his English class at Apache Junction High School.
He was given an assignment by his teacher, Lynne Coulter, to write a poem that had a personal meaning.
“I figured nothing could have more meaning to me at this time than the decision I made to enlist in the Army National Guard,” Wagner said.
The day I signed my life away
The day I signed my life away-
Signed on paper with ink-
Highlighted in yellow for me-
Hope my plan won’t sink-
When they called for me, I answered-
I traveled to the base-
I met the man who took my life-
He gave my life a place-
A week later I was tested-
To see if I was ready-
Not for strength but for health-
They watched me steadily-
My patience helped pass the test-
But now I’m soon to leave-
Summer is coming close-
Do not cry for me please-
| Date Taken: | 05.02.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 05.22.2015 14:43 |
| Story ID: | 164309 |
| Location: | PHOENIX, AZ, US |
| Web Views: | 392 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Enlisting in the Arizona National Guard fulfills student’s dream, by SGT Crystal Reidy, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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