Where is the military camp you went to? Can you describe what the environment was like?

It was at a training center in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. I was there for the summer, so I remember it just being really hot, like almost 90 degrees most days. It was sandy and kind of in the middle of nowhere, just kind of what you would expect from a military camp. In general, it felt very isolated. 

What was a typical day at camp like?

We trained for 10 weeks. Each day we’d wake up in the morning and start with stretching and different workouts, like we would do so many planks. Then we stand in formation, go to breakfast, come back and do some activity.

What kinds of activities?

It depends on the day. Sometimes we’d go visit the Bell Tower and just learn different things. We learned to use a gas mask, which a lot of people were curious about, and we learned how to clean and use different weapons. There were also just a lot of workouts–so many workouts. 

What was the food like?

It was bad. The drill sergeants said it was all frozen stuff. Sometimes the bread would have mold on it. But you just have to eat. We would get the MRE’s (Meals Ready to Eat), and they’re all like around 2,000 calories per meal, but the sergeants would tell us that we had to eat everything because of all the training we had to do. 

What was the most difficult part of camp?

Getting rid of that “you” mindset, if that makes sense. They would try to teach us that at camp you need to care about everybody, not just yourself, and that you have to take accountability for your actions. It was a big trend where sometimes everybody would get punished for something one person did. 

What was your favorite part of camp?

My favorite part was learning about the weapons, learning how to clean them, empty them, things like that, and different ways to use them. We just learned about different guns they use in the military, so we used the M4-80 most of the time. I thought it was interesting because I’d just never used one like that before. 

What is something you didn’t expect going into camp?

Beforehand, I didn’t think too much about the age range. Seventeen-year-olds made up around 10% of the people there. Most people there were 25 to 40 years old. So we had to be careful around people there, and I realized that a lot of older people don’t act that much different. I remember there being these two guys aged 17 and 33, and they would play dumb games and get everyone in trouble. 

Can you explain what the main influences behind your decision to enlist were?

A big part was my family. My brother had joined, and I do look up to him, so I also wanted to join. And the benefits were nice as well, like they paid my college tuition. And I also wanted to gain career experience, because I entered as a combat medic, and I’m trying to become a medical doctor.

What are you most excited about doing or accomplishing?

I’m excited to rank up. You rank up by certain accomplishments, so if you get a really high fitness score, help people out and follow the rules, things like that, you can rank up, so being in one of the youngest age groups but at a higher rank sounds like a cool accomplishment. 

What advice would you give to fellow students interested in joining the military after high school?

Don’t let anyone stop you. I remember my brother was trying to tell me not to join because military camps can be dangerous. Sexual assault is an issue sometimes, and it’s just easy to get hurt during workouts, and sometimes people who enroll are kind of scary. But if you are interested and have your heart set on it, just do it.