CHARMCO- Before graduating high school, kids may get a summer job, relax around the house for a couple months, or take a few vacations with family and friends.
For Austin Baker and Roy Loudermilk, they decided on something that though uncommon, may get them the most satisfaction and earn them the most respect from multiple communities.
On June 12, 2023, Loudermilk and Baker, students and football players at Greenbrier West, shipped off to Columbia, South Carolina at Fort Jackson, the largest and most active entry army training center in the United States.
For 10 weeks both guys went through intense war training that included:
- The gas chamber, where they walked into a chamber filled with CS gas to give them confidence in their gas masks. They would then take them off for 15 minutes to get a true feel of the gas.
- Repelling down a 40-foot tower called “Victory Tower.”
- Participating in the “Fit to Win” and the “Confidence Course” obstacle courses.
- Going to gun ranges and learning how to use and operate an M4 style weapon.
- Heading to a grenade range and throwing two live grenades.
- Participating in multiple field exercises known as The Hammer, The Anvil, and The Final Test which consisted of a 10-mile ruck march to the field exercises and then all the way back again.
- Learning how to construct an overnight camp.
- Participating in a night infiltration course and a march and shoot
- Ruck marching a total of 40 miles.
With all those drills, there was not a lot of time for sleep. After completing their main training, they both participated in a Soldier’s Ceremony (graduation) which earned them the title of an American soldier and they got to wear their graduation berets.
To say that Baker and Loudermilk did not get their typical high school summer is a complete understatement and both of them admittedly missed being back home during their 10-week stay but had to do what they felt was right to shore up their futures.
“Overall, it was definitely tough missing out on summer and coming home right back to school. It was hard getting back into civilian life. I always wanted to be in the military since I was a kid and so giving up a summer to accomplish my dream wasn’t very difficult for me to make that decision,” Baker said.
“I would say yes, it was tough missing summer at home, because you go think that I missed football, birthdays, and just having free time. But I was willing to sacrifice that because I plan for the future, so basic was more important at that moment,” Loudermilk echoed.
Both guys got back home with a better understanding of basic training and no regrets whatsoever.
“My overall impression on basic is that it has changed a lot from what basic used to be. In my opinion, it’s more mentally demanding than physically. Now I’m not saying it wasn’t hard physically, either” Loudermilk explained.
“My impression of basic training was I thought it was really tough and a big accomplishment. It helped teach me how to give respect and take things seriously that need to be taken seriously, and basically how to become a soldier,” Baker said.
And now, hard work back home is maybe not as hard as they once thought.
“I do definitely have respect for hard work,” Baker said.
“It taught me that hard work pays off both physically and being successful in life. Everything we do will require some kind of work or something to be done. It also shows you what hard work is. I own a small kind of farm that I always thought was hard work. Basic training taught me that it wasn’t. I do appreciate being home a little more. It just provides that comfort of being with your family and knowing they are okay,” he continued.
“It has always been in my nature to work hard. I’m not that type of person to just lay around, but yes because the work at basic was stressful and hard at the same time and for people go through that every day, you can’t have anything but respect for it,” Loudermilk stated.
After graduating from basic on Aug. 23 and getting back home, they went right to the new turf field for the Cavaliers. Loudermilk scored a touchdown in his most recent game and his hope is for a state championship to cap off what has been a wild few months.
“I want to be able to help the team grow, become a little more involved on Friday nights, and to win it all, which I have a lot of faith in my team,” Loudermilk said.
Baker came back with the exact same expectations.
“I’d say my football goals would definitely be making a championship. We have a really good football team this year, which they all play hard and know what’s happening, so I’d say we have a pretty good chance,” Baker said.
When the two graduate this coming summer of 2024, they already have their plans laid out for the most part, and both will most likely head to the same place.
“Once high school is over for me, I’ll be heading to AIT which is Advanced Individual training, which is just a school for learning to do your specific military job. That could take up to seven weeks. After that I would be stationed into my unit and from there on, I’ll be trying to make my way into airborne school and ranger school. Then I would like to eventually retire from the Army,” Baker stated.
“I’ll be going straight to my AIT, which is seven weeks long, and after that, I’ll either be going to college or straight to AGR if it’s available for my MOS,” Loudermilk added.
Look for Loudermilk (no. 14) and Baker (no. 85) on the field for the Cavaliers for the rest of the season.
