Oakland Mills High School senior Casey Holgado, 17, is the group commander at the school?s JROTC Air Force program.
In the program?s highest student role, he oversees student teams and classes.
Holgado, who was in the JROTC program for four years, earned an Air Force scholarship to attend Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. After four years in college ROTC, he will be commissioned as a second lieutenant and commit to serving four years in the Air Force.
How do you feel about the war in Iraq?
I think at the time, [President] Bush went in with good intentions and he thought there were weapons of mass destruction and they should remove Saddam Hussein from power.
Now, I really disagree with what?s being done there.
In the primary, I voted for Barack Obama, because he said if he?s elected, the first day in office he?ll start to withdraw troops.
Would you be prepared to serve there?
Absolutely.
If it came down to it, I would go and make the best of it.
If possible, I don?t want to go to war if I don?t need to.
Why did you join the JROTC program?
When I got to high school, I knew that this is where I wanted to be. It?s taught me … about leadership and how to be a better person. When I?m talking to other students, I have to follow what I?m saying to them and not be a hypocrite. It?s more than … a recruitment tool. The mission is [to] build better citizens for America.
Was it worth it joining?
It was probably my best experience in high school. Without it, I wouldn?t have had a group of friends I could identify with. I support and am so thankful for every single man and woman in the military.
