East High Junior Uses JROTC To Prepare For Military Career

By The Continuous News Desk

Published: August 22, 2008

BY KATIE CONNORS
SPECIAL TO THE HERALD COURIER

Choosing a college or career path takes time for many, but Sullivan East High junior Craig Boyko has been drilling towards his future since his freshman year.

“I see people graduating and not knowing what they want to do,” the 16-year-old said. “But I’ve known for a while.”

After seeing his older sister join Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, a high school program organized by the five branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, Craig joined his freshman year and immediately became involved, deciding a military career will be in his future.

“It’s pretty tough,” he said. “There’s after-school events, team meetings, rifle and drill team. If you want a higher position, you have to be more active in your unit.”

After his first year, Craig attended a mini-boot camp that exposed him to military training. Earlier this summer he attended a Leadership Academy.

“The Leadership Academy is for top performers in JROTC,” said Hardy Anderson, commander of the Sullivan East JROTC. “He gets to go with the top two or three cadets from other units ... because he has leadership potential.”

Having leadership potential will help Craig with his plans to attend the U.S. Naval Academy after graduation, followed by an additional 18 months of Nuclear School, where he wants to pursuing nuclear engineering.

“It takes a special type of person who wants to go there,” Anderson said of the Naval Academy. “It is difficult because they put great demands on you. It’s like the Leadership Academy, but for four straight years instead of seven straight days.”

With a full extra-curricular schedule that includes the swim team; the Key Club; SHOUT, a youth leadership program of the Kingsport Chamber Of Commerce; and Boy Scouts, as well as honors classes in English, math and science, Craig is accustomed to demand.

“We learn a lot of different things in ROTC that don’t just expand the mind, but the body, and a person learns how to think on their feet,” Anderson said. “The more we expose them to, the better their data base is. And that will help them to make better decisions and become better citizens.”

Part of becoming a better citizen in JROTC is the after-school activities where cadets are given the opportunity to become involved in the community, whether it’s feeding the homeless or picking up trash at the Bristol Motor Speedway, he said.

Craig will also begin a civic project, which includes 100 hours of community service, to attain Eagle Scout status, the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America.

“He has always had a lot of drive,” said Lois Gilbert, East High’s guidance counselor. “He’ll take advantage of opportunities.”

One such opportunity was an engineering camp presented by the Society of American Military Engineers, where only a select number of students from across the country were chosen to attend.

Craig attended the camp prior to the Leadership Academy this summer. During the week, he visited a nuclear power plant, worked on bridge design, poured concrete and studied uses of waterways like the Mississippi River. He even got an opportunity to pilot a riverboat.

“He’s not afraid to try new things,” Gilbert said.

While Craig continues his busy extra-curricular schedule since classes have begun, he said he’s carried over one lesson from his summer experiences.

“I learned how to eat properly, at the very least,” he laughed.