Pulaski County High School honors seniors headed to military

PULASKI COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) - Students in Pulaski County Public Schools face a big decision when it comes to life after high school.

“I’m ready,” PCHS Senior Benjamin Rorrer said. “It’s been in the back of my head since, like, I was little.”

He’ll be joining the United States Army after graduation.

“I think that there’s nothing greater to do,” he said. “I mean, it’s a great country, why not fight for it? I think there’s so many opportunities.”

He joined other classmates headed to the military for the first ever Future Veterans Breakfast May 5.

“These young folks have committed to serve their country and possibly lay down their life to defend our country, so it’s very important that that sacrifice be recognized,” PCPS Superintendent Kevin Siers said.

Siers is also a veteran. He made his grandmother’s biscuits and gravy for the group.

“When when we would go on deployments to Iraq or Bosnia, she would always call before we were going to say, ‘make sure you stopped by, I’ll make you some biscuits and gravy before you go’ so I thought it was just a good tradition to carry on and a way to honor her and my grandpa who served for in the Pacific for four years,” Siers said.

“At the end of the day, they’re doing something to better themselves and help them with their future endeavors,” U.S. Army Recruiter William Beaver said. “The military is a great route to go even if you don’t want to make a career out of it. Try it.”

Rorrer says his experiences in PCPS and hearing from other veterans have prepared him for his next phase of life.

“I think they’ve given me a great foreground,” he said. “I think if I take everything that they’ve told me, then I’ll be ready. Put it together with the stuff I know already and I’ll be okay.”

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