BE YOND THE STARS AND STRIPES Junior follows family into military
BY MAWAL SIDI
mawalsidi@csdecatur.net
considered a government official, but not Henry. On Oct. 27, Henry signed up for the Army National Guard. Joining
B
the National Guard will allow Henry to work inside or outside of the U.S. “If I want to, [I can do] anything from domestic emergencies, to combat missions, to counter drug efforts and even serve along the U.S.-Mexico border,” Henry said. Born in Fort MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, Henry considers being part of the military a family affair. “My five step- sisters are lieutenants,” he said. “One is in the Marines, and four are in the Army.” Henry chose to follow in the footsteps of his four out of five step sisters and join the Army. “I thought about the Air Force, but I didn’t see a job in there that I wanted,” he said. “So it was either Army or Marine Corps. Right now, the best decision for me [is] to join the Army.” To officially be considered a soldier in the Army National Guard, Henry must go through and complete basic training. For Henry, basic training starts May 29 in Fort Jackson, South Carolina. According to the National Guard, basic training is broken up into three phases: Red, White and Blue. Each is three weeks long. During phase Red, trainees learn about the Army’s values and
are taught teamwork and discipline. The White phase helps develop combat skills. The last phase, Blue, consists of tactical training, increasing leadership skills and self-discipline. Basic training is crucial to becoming a solider, and for Henry, it’s all worth it. “I will be there for nine weeks and four days,” he said. “After that, I will come back and do my senior year, and then [I will] go to North Georgia Military College and become a lieutenant.” His motivation to become a lieutenant comes from his family. His father is an Army Major at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and his mother is stationed out in Alaska. Because his siblings and parents are constantly traveling, Henry sometimes lives alone. Military officials visit him occasionally to check on his well-being. “It’s nothing much. There are three ladies who drive down just to see how I’m doing,” he said. “We knew each other for years, so it’s nothing.” Living alone, Henry has time to explore other interests. “I go to lots of gun shows and car shows,” he said. “I like to go anywhere and everywhere. Sometimes, I will get on MARTA to just go and see stuff.”
Henry may be into the same things as most teens, but currently he has a big responsibility as a Human Resource Specialist. According
y the time students turn 17, they can get a job, watch R- rated movies and join the military. Junior Darius Henry has done all three. Some students may pass up the opportunity to be
to GoArmy, Henry is respon- sible for providing support that affects a Soldiers’ overall well -being. His responsible and mature ways make him seem older than he actually is. Senior Ashleigh Rasheed said, “He is like an old man trapped in a young boy’s body.”
But through the years Henry has dealt with some tragedies that no young boy or old man should go through. Two years ago, Henry was involved in a car
accident. Two days later, on Christmas morning, Henry found out his sister and uncle died in the line of duty. His sister’s military helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan, and his uncle was killed by a road side bomb in Iraq. “That was the hardest year for me,” he said. Just last year during Henry’s track and field season, his father became seriously injured in Afghanistan. “My dad was shot five rounds in his upper right leg,” he said. “Due to where the bullets hit, doctors did not know if he would live.” After three months of recovering in Germany, Henry’s father was stationed out to South Carolina, where he currently is. Henry’s father has been in the military for over 22 years. “When you join the military, you will learn that when you are in a war zone there is a large chance you might not come back home,” he said. “The job is dan- gerous, but everyone can’t do the job. He was trained to fight till the end.” Despite the risks, Henry is not discouraged from becoming a solider. “I already know that my job is to defend the U.S. with my life,” he said. Henry’s fierce loyalty to the U.S. makes him believe that
he isn’t fighting for himself, but for an entire nation. “Being loyal to the military means not giving up during hard times,” he said. “Sometimes we will shed blood so that everyone in the U.S. can sleep peacefully at night.” His choice to join the military may have been influenced by his family, but he always knew what he wanted to be. “A lot of people know what they want to be, like lawyers and doctors,” he said. “The military to me is kind of different because anyone can go to school all of their life and get a doctor’s degree. Few people can join the military." n
Photo by Mawal Sidi
DECEMBER 2011 • CARPE DIEM
11
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56