Next September, senior Julie Jones won’t be packing her bags and leaving for college. Instead, she’ll be headed off to the Lackland Air Force base in San Antonio, Texas to start her career in the military.
Raised in a military-oriented family, Jones grew up with the impression that serving her country was a tradition passed on through the generations.
“The one catalyst that made me really want to join was when I went to my brother’s graduation in 8th grade. I saw the path he chose in the military and I was like, ‘Wow, I really want to do that,’” said Jones.
Jones started her Junior Reserve Officer Training Core (JROTC) career her junior year at Langley. Enrolled in JROTC courses at Chantilly High School, she leaves classes at Langley several days a week to get her basic training, even dressing in uniform each Thursday.
“JROTC is like a step up process to help you get your commission in ROTC. It gives you a taste of what ROTC would be like in college,” said Jones.
Although Jones is happy with her choice to pursue a career in the military, she has faced many challenges throughout high school. “I make a lot of sacrifices for ROTC,” she said. She’s had to miss many pep rallies and football games because of her dedication to the military.
“She’s very motivated and committed to our country; I’m so stoked for Julie,” said senior Lane Anderson.
Enlisting into the Air Force wasn’t easy, either. Not only did she have to talk to a recruiter, sign many documents and pass several tests, but she also had to go through the military entrance processing station.
“It’s a giant military building in which everybody and every branch goes through to get processed. You get medically processed and you take a test to qualify intellectually for the military, called the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB.)”
The ASVAB is a multiple choice test, administered by the United States Military Entrance Processing Command, used to determine qualification for enlistment. “You have to get a certain score to even get into a certain branch. But then there are technical levels to help you qualify for a job,” said Jones. “Once you’re medically and intellectually approved, you sign a contract saying that you are committed.”
The Air Force then posts a list of jobs, called a Job Drop, documenting the positions that they need filled each year. Jones was placed in avionics, a branch of the Air Force in charge of performing maintenance on aircraft, troubleshooting malfunctions, and working on various control systems.
Jones signed her job contract for the military this October, and will be shipping out Sep. 10 of next year to start at Lackland’s avionics department. Jones commented, “It’s bittersweet. I am very nervous but it’s also very exciting!”