County students consider armed forces

BHS senior Mia Jackson fills out a Marine questionnaire.

By Alison James

alison.james@fct.wpengine.com

“What can the military offer me?”

All tenth, eleventh and twelfth graders in Franklin County were given the chance to ask that question and have it answered at Armed Forces Day at Belgreen High School Oct. 5.

“If we get one or two kids, help them out by doing something like this, it’s worth it,” said Scott Wiginton, Franklin County Career Technical Center principal.

Students milled around the BHS cafeteria, taking the opportunity to interact with recruiters for the U.S. Army, U.S. Marines and U.S. Air Force.

“It gives them a baseline – if they really don’t know much about (the military), they gain a little bit of information, and then it creates interest, so they can learn everything about each branch,” said Marine Sgt. Jesse Dalton, of the recruiting substation in Decatur.

Two students who spent some time learning about their potential futures in the U.S. Marine Corps were BHS seniors Destiny Jones and Mia Jackson.

“I’m interested in it for college and self discipline,” Jackson said. “I would probably go toward military police, if I’m able to.”

“It’s a great opportunity to be able to participate in something like that,” Jones added.

Career coach Mimi Wood said she sees the military path as a viable option for many students.

“I think they need to get exposure to all different opportunities, and the military is a great opportunity for a lot of our students to get an education and also for possible careers,” Wood said.