After high school, students make the difficult decision of how they want to future their education. For a lot of students that may look like going to college, but for some, joining the armed forces is a more feasible option. Senior Andrew Le is one of the students at Hastings High that has decided to take that route.
The decision to commit to serving in the Military is not one that comes with little thought. Le’s decision has to do with the financial benefit of the Military as well as the direct connections he now has to the career he wants to pursue: automotive mechanics.
“I didn’t want to have to financially stress my parents or myself any more than I had to. Service pays off my tuition, housing, and textbooks through the GI Bill. There’s an extensive list of benefits ranging from full health, dental, and vision coverage as well as life insurance, to a 401k. Personally, however, I’m not necessarily interested in the strictly financial benefits. I’m more interested in the job experience. I picked a job that directly leads into the industry that I want to be in after my time in the Army,” Le said.
When Le first started thinking about the possibility to serve in the Army he wanted to make sure he felt he was making the right decision based on his military occupational specialty opportunities. He viewed the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) test as a noncommittal way to see what his options were in the military.
“It essentially tests your aptitude in a range of subjects. The score you receive on that test will then go to qualify you or disqualify you for jobs throughout all of the branches of the Armed Forces. After receiving my score of 98 (the highest is 99), I came into contact with many different recruiters. I would get calls from recruiters all over our area and even out in Iowa regarding my recruitment,” Le said.
The initial stress of recruitment for Le came from these countless phone calls, as strangers were pressuring him to meet up with them or attend a zoom call to further his enlistment process. He turned to his neighbor who previously had served in the Army for advice.
“He told me to realize that this is my future in my hands, and while the recruiters can help you, you can’t let them pick your future. I took this advice to heart and did my own research on the professions available and made an educated decision on what I would do. I reached out to the Grand Island Army recruiter station and everything was set from there,” Le said.
The second wave of stress came when Le went through Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS), a two day process that essentially makes sure that you are a good candidate for the service.
“The first day is usually spent at the MEPS facility taking your ASVAB, however, since I had already taken it, I got to wait at the hotel. It was this time spent alone to myself at the hotel that really stressed me out. I was alone. I was stepping into a new chapter in my life and I was genuinely scared. The next day we were brought to the facility and the tests began. They went through a completely extensive health check, family background check, and legal history check. After all that, you got your pick of jobs, sign the contract you wanted, and you were sworn in, “ Le said.
Le is now entered into the Army Active Duty branch as a 91B Military Occupational Specialty (MOS), meaning he will be a wheeled vehicle mechanic. There are multiple steps of preparation for the job you enlist in.
“When you enlist, you enlist into a job (your MOS). After basic training, you go to where that specialized job training is located and you train there for the necessary amount of time. This is called AIT, Advanced Individual Training,” Le said.
Once he graduates from Hastings High, Le is off to a 10 week-long basic training in Fort Jackson, South Carolina. He is not nervous about it at all, and he has already gone through preparations for the physical and mental tasks to come.
“I spent the last year doing cardio every day and lost 35 lbs so I could fit my weight requirement for the military. I also started attending Future Soldier Training after I had enlisted, which is pretty much a workout /skill training session that lasts about an hour and a half once a week,” Le said.
As for the future, Le has no concrete plans after his contract is up. He is content for now with making the most of his experience in the Army and staying in the present.
“It’s difficult to plan things exactly as you want them because you never know what the future holds. I know that I’m going to serve my current three year and 20-week contract but after that, I’ve got plenty of options. However, that’s something future me will deal with, “ Le said.
