best parts about the Army, and that’s one of the reasons why I find the Army so exciting — it offers you so many different challenges.”
From scholars to warriors The cadets in the class of 2010 were in their early teens when ter- rorists attacked the World Trade Center in New York and the Pen- tagon Sept. 11, 2001. Almost all of these cadets were marked by the war on terrorism. When they chose to join the all-volunteer force, they knew someday they might serve on a battlefield.
In the coming years, these cadets will accept deployments, frequent moves, and separation from their loved ones. They have chosen to put duty, honor, and country first. “My family is my motivation,” says
McClary. “I’m serving so my loved ones don’t have to.” McClary credits his parents for
supporting his decision to join the Army Reserve as a 17-year-old. After high school, he attended junior col- lege while serving as a reservist. Bored with school but passionate about the military, he often skipped classes to par- ticipate in training exercises and even- tually volunteered to deploy. Now a focused student and cadet, he credits West Point for giving him the skills and motiva- tion to succeed. In the past four years, he’s received all but two of the awards West Point bestows on its outstanding cadets. “I sort of
found my niche,” says McClary. “I worked a lot of jobs in high school, and I was never really thrilled at how cutthroat the civilian sector was sometimes. And I really enjoyed the camaraderie the military offered.
Voting members of MOAA will have a chance to vote on a resolution this month to extend MOAA membership to cadets. See this issue’s cover wrap for details.
It’s always been kind of exciting to me, and I intend to stay in this as long as it stays exciting.”
A family tradition Family support played a role when John P. Keilty III decided to join the Navy. Keilty’s parents, both grandfa- thers, and a great-grandfather served in the Navy. His sister, Kelly, is a Navy corpsman. “Since I was a kid, I’ve been in
love with airplanes and with the Navy,” he says. “I have pictures of me when I was 3 years old in this flight suit that was custom-made for a little man my size.” Throughout his schooling, Keilty pursued his diverse interests. He worked toward a football scholarship in high school. Then, after attend- ing a Blue Angels flight demonstra- tion show, his interest in becoming a Navy pilot was rekindled. During his senior year, he buckled down, raised his GPA from 2.5 to 3.4, and applied to the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in Lexington, Va. Keilty initially didn’t receive an appointment to VMI. Rather than enter the Navy through an ROTC program, he spent a year in junior college raising his grades before reapplying and being accepted as a “rat” — the nickname for VMI first- year students being molded into out- standing military members, citizens, and business leaders. “There was something unique
John P. Keilty III (left) stands in front of his alma mater, the Virginia Military Institute.
about knowing your buddies were back home, and they were living the good life, and you’re here getting bad grades, with your face in the mud, and cadre yelling in your
AU G U S T 2 0 1 0 MI L I T A R Y O F F I C E R 67
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