MOUNT VERNON — For a variety of reasons, an increasing number of young people are choosing the Army National Guard as a career option, and Ohio has one of the highest number of recruits in the nation. A number of Knox County residents have recently joined the Guard, and shared their motivations with the News.
Justin Snow, 26, of Mount Vernon, chose the Guard partly because of the benefits.
“They’re able to provide opportunities that I can’t with my current income,” he said. “I’m going into the medical field and they can provide the education that I can’t provide for myself. After basic training, I will be going to medic training. After the Guard, I’m planning to get my nursing degree.”
Snow’s wife, at first, was not thrilled with his decision.
“It wasn’t her first choice,” he said, “but the pros far outweigh the cons. There’s always the possibility of things happening. But for what the Guard is going to give me in the long run, for me it’s well worth what I have to give. During my six-year enlistment, I’ll serve one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer. My daughter is a little over 6 months old, and I figured that if I have to be away from home, now is the time to do it.”
Family tradition was another factor in Snow’s decision.
“Both of my grandfathers and my father were in the Navy,” he explained. “They all came home with real-world experience that they could use to make their lives better when they got home.
“Since I have joined,” Snow said, “there’s been a lot of people who have asked me about being in the Army. And it’s nice that a lot of them have actually thanked me. It’s nice to see that people do respect soldiers for what they do and what they give.”
Family tradition also spurred Nathan McAvoy to sign up. A senior at Danville High School, McAvoy has already completed basic training and plans to specialize in computers and technology.
“My grandpa served in the Army and my dad served in the Kansas National Guard,” he said. “I just think everyone should serve in the military. At first, my mom wasn’t too enthusiastic about my joining the Guard last year at age 17, but she knew I really wanted to do it, so she signed the papers.”
Following in his mother’s footsteps is Jeremy Payne of Mount Vernon. A junior at the Knox County Career Center, Payne said being in the military is something he has wanted to do for a long time. He will go to basic training this summer, then complete his senior year at KCCC. He plans to be a specialty cannon crew member.
Laura Lee Biddle, 2006 graduate of Mount Vernon High School, said she joined the Guard “because they pay 100 percent tuition for college.”
“Also, I like to be around people and I knew I would meet tons of new people and get to see tons of new places,” she said. “I’m going to be a healthcare specialist, a medic. Before I even enlisted, I planned on going to college and becoming a nurse. This way, I’ll be ahead of everybody else.”
Biddle is in basic training in Fort Jackson, and is “liking it.”
Douglas Biddle, Laura’s younger brother, has also joined the Ohio National Guard. He is a junior at the Knox County Career Center.
Classmates at the Knox County Career Center, juniors Andrew Hess, Fredericktown, and Chad Valley, Danville, joined the Guard under the buddy system. They said they enlisted together so they could go to the same basic training site and take the same advanced training courses. Hess said he joined the Guard to serve the country.
“I wanted to help out and be part of something.” Another reason Hess gave is, “they pay pretty good and you can have another full-time job.”
“I knew I didn’t want to go to college, but I wanted to be in the military,” Valley said. “I didn’t join the regular Army because the Guard has better benefits.”
Other area residents who have recently joined the Ohio National Guard are Kendra Fisher, a junior at Highland High School; Kristi Byers, a senior at Danville High School; and Monica Staggers, a senior at East Knox High School. Fredericktown graduate Joan Jones has recently returned from basic training and job training. She is a medic with the Guard.
The local Ohio Army National Guard recruiter, John Prenger, understands the motivations of his young recruits. He signed up eight years ago while a junior in high school. The youngest of six children, he knew he wanted to go to college, but had no way to pay for it. Being in the Guard gave him the opportunity to earn a bachelors degreee in criminal justice.
Prenger said he got interested in recruiting because he sees other young people who can’t go to college any other way. He also likes interacting with the young people in the various schools, and not all of his visits are connected with the National Guard. Prenger said he is qualified to teach 25 different classes, from drug abuse prevention to disaster preparedness. He also taught a career directions seminar at East Knox High School.
“I talked to the seniors about career directions,” he said. “We discussed going to college, and how much college costs. I gave them a survey to identify things they’re interested in, and what jobs might fit.”
In addition to the financial benfits of being in the Guard, Penger also lets his recruits know the realities of being in the military.
“I tell recruits, ‘Yeah, we do have the great benefits, but first of all, you’re a soldier in the United States military,’” he said. “I don’t sugar coat it. I tell them that’s how it’s going to be.”
Prenger, a heavy equpment operator, served 11 months in Iraq with the 216th Engineers.
