ear,” says Keilty. “Then it all comes full circle, and suddenly, it’s very re- warding. You still have your face in the mud, but you’re getting A’s, and you start to feel confidence that be- comes deeply rooted in your person. You start to develop a sense there’s not anything you can’t do.” Keilty credits VMI for developing his leadership skills, teaching him to focus and excel under pressure, and helping him discover from where his desire to serve stems — “wanting to be part of something larger than yourself.” As a cadet, he earned the commander’s naval ROTC scholar- ship, made the dean’s list, lettered in football, and was named battalion commander. More important, he believes the education and life skills he’s acquired at VMI will help him succeed in a Navy career. He’s also looking forward to deploying and testing his skills. “Deploying is what it’s all about,”
says Keilty. “That’s an aspect of the military that draws me to serve. I want to go out on the front lines and fight for this country and fight for the protection of our citizens.”
Need to serve Most students at Georgetown Uni- versity in Washington, D.C., are still asleep when cadet Valerie Felix heads across town by bus to drill with Air Force ROTC Detachment 130 at Howard Univer- sity. Under the Air Force’s cross-town agreement, Detach- ment 130 trains cadets who attend seven other area universities. “Howard Uni-
versity’s Detach- ment 130 is one of the most diverse
6 8 MI L I T A R Y O F F I C E R AU G U S T 2 0 1 0 ALL PHOTOS: SEAN SHANAHAN
units in the country for ROTC,” says Felix. “We have dif- ferent experiences, different strengths ... and for our detach- ment, it’s created a great environment that’s allowed all of us to grow.” A first-generation
American with Fili- pino and Canadian parents, Felix’s ex- posure to the mili- tary came through her siblings. Her sister, Lorelei, at- tended West Point, and her brother, An- thony, attended the U.S. Air Force Acad- emy in Colorado Springs, Colo. “I looked at my
siblings, and I re- ally admired them for putting it on the line,” says Felix. “When my sister graduated [from West Point] in 2001, she was coming in right when we were going into Af- ghanistan and Iraq, and she actually
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