A Senior Salute: Two seniors are pursuing a future in the military following high school graduation

Assembling his parents in the living room, then-junior Joseph Dalton passed around a form he’d gotten from a military recruiter. He had decided to join the Marine Corps. His mom was speechless — her jaw dropped.

“My mom was scared,” Dalton said. “I’ve never seen her so shocked. I’m the youngest and so all my family members went to college. So when I told her that I wanted to go into the Marines, she was like, ‘What the hell are you doing?’ like what a typical mom would say.”

Now a senior, Dalton started considering a military career in eighth grade, but took action his junior year of high school. Now, after signing a four-year infantry contract, Dalton is preparing to head out to San Diego on June 21 for boot camp.

At 17, he began taking trips to the Marine Corps Office in Olathe, Kan. to exercise with other people joining the Marines. Running three miles, being guided through command drills and lifting weights helped him connect with his future shipmates, and get stronger for his future career.

“It kind of helps with, ‘Is this for me? Is this what I want to do every day? Is this really what you want to do?’” Dalton said. “So that’s what I thought of, but as I started going to PT — physical training — more often, I started thinking, ‘Yeah, this is, this is what I want to do.’”

The training has not only prepared Dalton for the physical aspects of the undertaking, but the intense physical strain experienced at boot camp, which he must attend beginning July 14. The boot camp, or recruitment training, is a 13-week long intensive program to prepare recruits mentally and physically for their military careers. Dalton expects to be challenged by the camp, with days starting at 5 a.m., long class sessions, intense cardio and even exposure to tear gas.

“My expectations are you’re going to be [getting] screamed at a lot, you’re going to be running a lot, you’re going to be doing too many push ups, you’re gonna be waking up at five. It’s gonna suck, but get used to it,” Dalton said. “Just be mentally prepared and be physically prepared.”

Similar to Dalton, senior David Crabb is preparing for his departure to Navy boot camp in North Chicago, leaving July 14. 

Crabb is going into the Navy for the fast-paced work and the many responsibilities like maintaining systems and electronics to collecting enemy data of shipping installments.

“There’s a mental test that you take, kind of like an ACT for the military,” Crabb said. “And you are first trying to find out what jobs you’re eligible for and so I studied some for that, and then just most of the other stuff I’ve been doing has been workouts and swimming, and all that stuff because I’m going into Special Warfare so it’s a lot more physically intensive.”

Because Special Warfare in the Navy has specific training, the first two years of Crabb’s contract are setting up the sailors for their combat and special intelligence. Dalton is starting as a mortar operating man, but hopes to become an Embassy Guard after the second year, a security guard for embassies across the globe.

Dalton plans to attend the University of Colorado Boulder after serving, with hopes to earn his associate degree and college credit while in the military.

“There’s no way I could [serve in the military] for 20 years,” Dalton said. “I think it’s just more like, ‘OK, I got my four years out of the way. I did my time. That’s all I need to do.’”

Although free college tuition is a draw to joining the military after high school, staying away from friends and family for extended periods of time and potentially life-threatening situations remain a concern.

“I mean there’s always that fear of like, ‘Oh I’m gonna die or I might get my leg blown off’ or something like that,” Dalton said. “There’s always a fear but you should definitely know what you’re getting into. But it’s such a reward knowing that you’re serving your country.”