Senior Brayden Rutherford has made the decision to serve his country after graduating high school. Rutherford enlisted in the Army. He was fascinated by war and bravery from a young age, and this fascination has continued throughout his life.
“From a young age, I always told my parents that this is what I wanted to do. My decision has greatly impacted my family. They have become the typical soldier parents and have put up flags and Army stuff everywhere. Their support is very important to me,” said Rutherford.
Rutherford went to basic training last summer, and the biggest change was being away from his family. For Rutherford, the first few weeks were hard on everyone, but the constant distractions of training helped him through it.
Throughout his 10-week-long basic training, Rutherford made new lifelong friends he spent hours with, especially those in his platoon.
“The friendships I made during training are different from the ones here at home because we saw each other in positions where we were emotionally compromised during training, and we pushed each other to the breaking point. The friendships I have here are just people I grew up with,” said Rutherford.
After graduation, Rutherford will ship off again to another round of training and become military occupational specialty code (MOS) qualified.
“I knew this was what I wanted to do with my life, and it has greatly impacted my views, morals and how I present myself. It brings me a sense of pride and an even greater amount of respect for the brave men and women who have encouraged and influenced me to be the person I am today,” said Rutherford.
His decision and training have prepared him to do what is necessary when the time comes.
“It’s bittersweet, but I am ready to take the next step and hopefully do what I’m trained to do. I am proud to be a Ram. PHS has given me a lot of memories, but I’m on to bigger and better things,” said Rutherford.
Story by Kaden Lewellyn