FORT SILL, Okla. (Apr. 5, 2024) — This week, 434th Field Artillery Brigade Drill Sergeants Staff Sgt. Jose Gonzalez-Lugardo, Staff Sgt. Sarai Manongsong and Staff Sgt. Joshua Mitchell spent three days with Wichita Falls High School JROTC cadets to support U.S. Army Recruiting and accessions missions.
“When you step out of that comfort zone, that’s when you grow,” Gonzalez-Lugardo said.
Wichita Falls Station Recruiter Staff Sgt. Kevin Melancon noted the importance of opportunities like this for the JROTC program and U.S. Army accessions as a whole.
“This gives the students an actual real life picture of what basic training looks like or what AIT looks like from a drill sergeant’s perspective - they’re the ones who live that day to day,” he said.
Gonzalez-Lugardo said this was his first experience interacting with cadets and he had looked forward to this experience.
“It is a new generation coming up and we deal with it on the [Basic Combat Training] side, so it is more real to see [the students] before they get to us,” he said.
While many of the cadets were undecided about joining the military after high school, one cadet, Aiden Hughes, has already enlisted in the military and is anticipating leaving for basic training after graduation.
Hughes said it was fun to hear from the drill sergeants.
“You get to know the ins and outs,” he said.
Hughes is already looking forward to his position in the army - 91F - small arms artillery repair - and offered advice to his younger peers about joining JROTC and the military.
“[Making the decision] is just way more beneficial. It will help you later in life, no matter what you do, and it’s good on your resume,” he said.
Gonzalez-Lugardo told the cadets they are already a step ahead of trainees who were not in JROTC.
“You already have the answers to the test,” he said. “All you have to do is have the right mindset.”
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