FORT HOOD, Texas — Typically, future Soldiers are sworn in by an officer at a Military Entrance Processing Station into their chosen branch of service. But on Sept. 2, more than a dozen future Soldiers enjoyed an opportunity of a lifetime to take the Oath of Enlistment on national television before the eyes of those watching the Fox & Friends morning show.
Katie Cope, originally from Illinois and a contract employee with the III Armored Corps Public Affairs Office, said she was grateful for the opportunity to enlist in the U.S. Army Reserve on national television, because all her family could not be there.
“My parents live in Arizona now,” Cope said. “They were able to see it. If I went the traditional route [going to MEPS], my family can’t come.”
These young men and women have taken the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, gone through the Military Entrance Processing Station and received their military occupational specialties. The future Soldiers, ranging from recent high school graduates to those in their mid-20s, all shared the common goal of wanting to join the United States Army. They each took an oath to protect and defend the United States Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
“I think it’s the factor that I always enjoy a challenge,” Cope said, “and to be able to learn from new things and from new people … to understand the different sides to everything.”
Cope, who met her husband, Cpl. Elijah Cope, outside Camp Pendleton, California, is no stranger to military service. Her father is a retired U.S. Navy sailor, and several of her family members have served in the armed forces over the last few decades. Cope said her choice to join the Army Reserve was partly due to being able to serve with her husband, who is currently with the 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade at Fort Hood. She said joining her husband in the military has been a surreal experience.
“I have heard a lot of the horror stories about being married, getting sent overseas, gaps in your job history, just being a spouse,” Cope said. “If it leads to it and we’re sent overseas, I can go active [duty], and we still have two incomes for when we start a family.”
The future Soldiers of the U.S. Army were in for a special treat, as they were allowed to invite friends and family to watch their enlistment ceremony and stay for a live concert from Lee Brice. Brice performed the final concert of this year’s Fox & Friends All-American Summer Concert Series during the live broadcast.
As Brice left the stage, he congratulated the Soldiers and thanked them for their service.
“Thank you, Fort Hood, for letting us be a part of your lives,” Brice said. “Know that we’re always thinking about you, and praying for you and we appreciate you. [I’m] just over the moon.”
Social Sharing