National Guard recruiter visits Wrangell

Sgt. Mario Morales visited Wrangell last week. As a recruiter for the Army National Guard, he said that he and his office partner are responsible

for a wide range of Southeast Alaska, from Prince of Wales to Yakutat. He came to Wrangell because he is interested in finding recruits from small-town Alaska. A lot of Alaskan members of the National Guard come from the major cities of Southeast, like Juneau and Ketchikan. He wants to reach out to the smaller towns in the area, as well.

"A lot of people before me focused on only the Juneau and Ketchikan area, that's why there isn't a very large number of National Guardsmen here in town," Morales said. "My personal focus is to focus on the outlying areas a little more."

As part of his trip to Wrangell, Morales said that he met with school administrators and coaches to set up a "career exploration program" at the high school. This will be coming sometime in the near future, he said. He added that he also spoke to some older members of the community during his trip. No matter a person's age, however, he said that the National Guard has a wide range of incentives to join.

For one thing, serving in the National Guard can help somebody grow as a person and become a better member of the community. The National Guard also provides job training, student loan assistance, and can also help pay for college. There is also something called a "split option program," Morales said, that might be of interest to high school students.

"For juniors, for 17-year-olds, we let you finish your high school career," he said. "We don't touch you until you're completely graduated. By the time you graduate your senior year, you have two years of military service already under your belt. It's called a split option program. Instead of being here in the summer looking for a job here, you go to basic training the summer of your junior year, come back, finish your junior year, do your thing. The summer of your senior year, when you graduate, you go to your job training."

Whether in high school or post-college, Morales said that the National Guard is a good opportunity for anybody looking for just a little more excitement in their lives. If anybody feels an itch for something more than what they are currently doing, he said, they should get in touch with him. His phone number is (907) 874-2865.

"I just really want people to be able to see the resources we have available, because the community, as a whole, the National Guard is there to serve," he said.