The sweat is dripping off of his face. His arms burn and his body feels like a great stone is pressing him down into the dirt.
“Down. Up. Down. Up.” A voice yells above him. Lieutenant Commander Mooney towers over the cadet and the others struggling to do pushups. His voice rings out loud and clear. The message is simple, “Down, up, down, up.” There is nothing else for the cadet.
The cadet glances around the field, eyes squinting. The sound of his heartbeat booms with each movement he takes. He can taste the dust as it flies up into the air, covering his clothing. The other cadets are yelling in pain, breathing heavier, and heavier, and heavier.
The burning in his arms is too much. They can not take it anymore and give way. Hershey High School Freshman and Sea Cadet Mark Suminski …show more content…
HHS teacher Eric Barber knows the physical and mental demands of military service.. Barber, an Air Force National Guard aircraft mechanic, said that no matter which branch enlistees enter, there will be physical training.
For Barber mental toughness is extremely important in the military. Barber joined at 22 years old and found there was a “clear advantage over the 17 year olds because of my mentality from being older.”
However, Barber is not against the idea of starting early. Barber is actually in support of it. When Barber was in highschool, there were not many programs, and the few that did exist weren’t that popular. Barber said today’s youth programs are great because “they get kids in the right mindset for the military.”
When Barber looks back in life, he would’ve liked a program that would show him his options. “I never really had a focused area that I’d be good at,” said Barber.
Because of not knowing where to start, Barber had to wait till the end of college to start the Air National Guard. Looking back over an 18-year career, Barber wished he could have served in those four
“Down. Up. Down. Up.” A voice yells above him. Lieutenant Commander Mooney towers over the cadet and the others struggling to do pushups. His voice rings out loud and clear. The message is simple, “Down, up, down, up.” There is nothing else for the cadet.
The cadet glances around the field, eyes squinting. The sound of his heartbeat booms with each movement he takes. He can taste the dust as it flies up into the air, covering his clothing. The other cadets are yelling in pain, breathing heavier, and heavier, and heavier.
The burning in his arms is too much. They can not take it anymore and give way. Hershey High School Freshman and Sea Cadet Mark Suminski …show more content…
HHS teacher Eric Barber knows the physical and mental demands of military service.. Barber, an Air Force National Guard aircraft mechanic, said that no matter which branch enlistees enter, there will be physical training.
For Barber mental toughness is extremely important in the military. Barber joined at 22 years old and found there was a “clear advantage over the 17 year olds because of my mentality from being older.”
However, Barber is not against the idea of starting early. Barber is actually in support of it. When Barber was in highschool, there were not many programs, and the few that did exist weren’t that popular. Barber said today’s youth programs are great because “they get kids in the right mindset for the military.”
When Barber looks back in life, he would’ve liked a program that would show him his options. “I never really had a focused area that I’d be good at,” said Barber.
Because of not knowing where to start, Barber had to wait till the end of college to start the Air National Guard. Looking back over an 18-year career, Barber wished he could have served in those four