As auto tech students walked into fifth period, they couldn’t help but gaze at the captivating U.S. Army Humvee unwinding in their shop, as two United States Army recruiters talked about opportunities the Army had to offer.
“We want to get involved in the career technical exploration clusters that Richardson High School has,” Staff Sgt. Michael McGrath, an Iraq and Afghanistan war veteran said. “My job is to lay options out there.”
The class sat through an explanatory presentation over the opportunities and benefits of the Army.
“What we try to get across to the kids is that we have over 180 jobs in the Army,” said Sgt. Steven Drake, a U.S. Army mechanic and a recruiter. “The main thing we want to do is give kids more options.”
In addition to a variety of career options, the recruiters also debunked common myths surrounding joining the Armed forces.
“One of the big myths that’s out there is that the different branches of services get paid different amounts of money – that’s incorrect,” Staff Sgt. McGrath said.
Throughout the presentation, students were reassured that the Army is not just about fighting overseas, and that they could choose from a wide variety of career choices.
“My job is a desk job in the Army,” Staff Sgt. McGrath said. “Your primary job in the Army is the primary job that you chose and got trained for, we’re not all infantry guys who are going out actively looking for a fight.”
The recruiters also explained how the Army is a pathway for students that eases the financial burdens of attending college with programs like the Post 9/11 Montgomery GI bill, which pays up to $53,000 for college.
“While you’re enlisted every year you can get $4500 a year tuition assistance that doesn’t come out of the G.I bill,” Sgt. Drake said.
After the presentation, students toured the Army vehicle brought from a reserve unit in the area.
“Instead of just telling us about the Army, they actually brought something to give us a hands on,” sophomore Ayuub Jamshaid said.
The recruiters talked about the specifics of the vehicle and the operational maintenance needed to keep the vehicle in good shape.
“It was nice for the Army to come down here and show us one of their vehicles,” sophomore Michael Andrews said.
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