On Friday, Mar. 6, four brave young men took an oath to serve their country and signed up for the military. These signers, including Lucas Hill and Austin Kainer, are going to the Army, and Jake Woytek and Peyton Prihoda are signing with the Marine Corps.
Hill is looking into going to help his brothers and sisters on the field as a medic in the Army. With support from his veteran father, Hill and his family are honored for his future.
“I wanted to join the military because I wanted to serve and protect our nation. I feel honored because it means I’ll be a part of something for the rest of my life,” Hill said.
Not only is Hill and his family excited for his future, but the very person who got him into the military in the first place, his recruiter, is looking forward to seeing his bright future and where it will take him.
“These boys have very different paths, with Lucas going into the medical field; he is going to have a successful time there, with Austin, he’s going into more of the mechanical side of things, so we were able to go ahead and get things started for him,” Sergeant First Class Wilkins said.
Kainer has one simple plan for his future in the military.
“To serve our country,” Kainer said.
As for the students going into the Marine Corps, Prihoda and his family are ready for the challenges ahead, as they have had multiple family members take the same path.
“I have a bunch of family members who went into the service, and the stories they’ve told me have made me want to join,” Prihoda said.
Basic training is not just about meeting your new family in the military; it can be a scary experience, being away from family, the expectations of your drill sergeants, and what your parents will think of your new attitude and personality.
“The one thing I’m looking forward to is the discipline and the training they’re gonna give me. Because I believe the discipline is going to make me into a better person for myself, my community, and my country,” Prihoda said.
However, Prihoda is ready for it and is sure that no matter what he does, he will always have his family to back him up.
“I’m going to be scared to leave my family because I’m gonna be gone for 13 weeks for basic training, and that’s a long time to be away from my family. When I come back, I’ll be a new person, I’m sure they’ll be proud of me,” Prihoda said.
These four brave young men are ready to fight for their country and leave their small lives in Hallettsville, Texas, behind for something better. Hallettsville High School is proud to call these students its own.
