On Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017, the U.S. Army will be recruiting on the Owings Mills campus in the Rockland lobby from noon-2 p.m.
“The United States Army is the world[‘s] premiere fighting force protecting the American way of life since 1775,” reads an event description on Handshake. “U.S. Army Recruiting Info Table,” adding, “We have over 150 different career paths in both full time (Active Duty Army) and part time (Army Reserves) positions available.”
The recruiter assigned to Stevenson University is Staff Sgt. Kenji Nishikawa, who is also the Army Reserve Recruiter assigned to Johns Hopkins University as well was an ROTC instructor for both schools.
According to John Hopkins University’s Army ROTC/ Benefits page, there is a possibility of getting 100 percent college tuition paid for a monthly $300-$500 tax exempt stipend, gaining experience, respect, and leadership/manager training.
Several of the ROTC cadets on Stevenson’s campus have been recruited by recruiters themselves.
“I would definitely say go out there and look at what they have to offer because a lot of people don’t exactly know what it is about,” said cadet Cpl. Nick Crenshaw.
“Because I’m a nursing major, I’m under a nursing-specific scholarship,” said cadet Sgt. Eric Fong Sam. He added that he is enrolled in the “66 Series” program, designed to help nurses and doctors in the Army get their degrees at a local university, paid for by the U.S. Army. In return, Fong Sam is required to do a minimal of six years in the military, but he is considering a career path in the Army.
“When I actually went to see what jobs I would have available to me, and I saw that I would be able to get a really good job, with a really good clearance, I just took it because of the education benefits that came with it,” said Pfc. Josh Berger.
This seemingly endless list of advantages does not come without a cost.
An article on MilitarySpot.com discussed the advantages and disadvantages of military service after high school. This is an independent website, non-governmentally funded that “offers resources, news, and information for our soldiers in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and National Guard.”
“When you join the service, whichever branch you sign onto will make your life decisions for you until you complete your commitment. This can mean both danger and isolation from the people you care about back at home,” according to MilitarySpot.com. In total from 2003 to 2010, there have been 4,365 service members killed, and the article mentions that funding for college was “recently cut due to budget sequestration, according to FOX23.”
For further information, Jill Pajak, the employment coordinator at Stevenson, can direct interested parties to an Army recruiter, or they can contact Staff Sgt. Kenji Nishikawa directly at John Hopkins University. Students can stop by the table on Oct. 31 to see what the U.S. Army has to offer.