FEATURES
FLYING INTO THE AIR FORCE
Junior joins JROTC in hopes of joining the Air Force SAISHA DANI OPINIONS EDITOR
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hoes stomp on the grass, creating a muffled sound throughout the football field at Chantilly Academy. The sun’s rays beam overhead while 30 students in navy blue uniforms march in their positions in unison. A whistle blows and the rhythm of the marching changes. Among the 30 students is junior Sofia Pardo, obediently following orders at her Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) academy class. Pardo’s face fills with excitement when she talks about the class and her plans to join the Air Force. “[JROTC] is a military training class, but it’s not as hard as the actual military training,” Pardo said. Pardo attends her JROTC class at Chantilly Academy, as it will provide an advantage when she joins the Air Force. Many of the things taught in the class relate to her future goals. They learn drills, the right way to wear their uniforms, how to march and jodies to sing while working. Pardo hasn’t always wanted to be a part of the Air Force. As a child, she wanted to be a police officer, but things changed once she learned more about the opportunities joining the military offers. During her freshman year of high school, a few of her friends from church made her consider this opportunity. “They explained to me the benefit of joining the Air Force, and how they would work their way to actually working for the Air Force,” Pardo said. Since she liked the idea, Pardo researched the career path. She talked to her parents, and they were on board with her plans. “I believe it is a wise and important decision to make at her young age, which
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demonstrates her maturity and responsibility towards life. I feel happy because I know this career path will provide her with a secure future where she’ll be able to pursue her dreams,” said Patricia Zapata, Pardo's mother. Her parents suggested that if she wanted to join the military, she should take some classes for preparation during high school. “When I moved to Virginia my sophomore year, I talked to my counselor about JROTC, and at the time Chantilly Academy was the only school which offered the class,” Pardo said. Despite JROTC being far away, Pardo decided to sign up. “If you really want to get a good title and you want to enter the Air Force with some sort of advantage, [JROTC] will give you a big advantage. Since they only offered two years, I decided to take the class my junior and senior year,” Pardo said In her class, Pardo learns the technical and the physical parts of being in the Air Force. The class has physical training every Friday and teaches the different ranks and insignias. Pardo is currently learning about the phonetic alphabet in addition to different marches and drills. “[Pardo] demonstrates that she always does what she proposes. She always pays attention, and I think she’s one of the best in the class,” said Westfield High School junior Maria Irias Alvarado, one of Pardo’s classmates. “She learns everything so fast and she always studies for when we have uniform inspection, as they always ask us questions.” The class has helped Pardo grow as a person. “Taking the class teaches you to be disciplined and take responsibility for
ALL SMILES FOR THE AIR FORCE — Sofia Pardo poses in her JROTC uniform after her academy class. Pardo has to wear her uniform every Thursday to all her classes. (Photo by Saisha Dani)
yourself, and outside of that it really helps you bond with people and work together,” Pardo said. JROTC also comes with a few challenges. The class requires strong leadership skills along with memorizing a lot of information. “I think the most challenging part is stepping out of your comfort zone if you are not comfortable speaking up and being the leader of your group,” Pardo said. Pardo loves traveling along with learning languages and cultures. After high school, Pardo hopes to work for the Air Force as a linguistic analyst. “[JROTC] helps you a lot at a personal level to develop character and also helps you develop strength because you are required to speak up for yourself and talk to a person with respect,” Pardo said. “Every time you answer you have to answer with yes, ma’am, no, sir. It really shapes you, your personality, your view of older people and also your respect towards others.”
Page design by Saisha Dani & Pran Kittivorpat
