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Printed From Acorn-Online.com Redding Pilot by MAGGIE CALDWELL
Growing up playing war games with her older brother, watching military movies with her father, and listening to the stories her grandfather told about his service with the 82nd Airborne, she became enthralled. She wasn’t “exactly a tomboy,” she said, but “maybe a little too aggressive for (her) own good.” As a birthday present when she turned 14, Gina asked her parents to take her to visit the United States Military Academy at West Point. “I always wanted to go into the military and had in mind going to West Point,” she said. Last Friday morning, she moved one giant leap toward achieving that goal, reporting for basic training in Monmouth, N.J., at the United States Military Academy Preparatory School, also called West Point Prep. For one year she and her fellow cadets will follow a curriculum that is closely coordinated with the West Point syllabus. The prep school has a focus on mathematics and English, the basics of which are needed for academic success at the academy, according to the school’s Web site. When she has successfully completed her year at the school, Gina said she will enroll at West Point. Her choice to enroll at Prep was due partially to her scores on the SATs. Though she excelled on the English sections, Gina said her math scores were lower than she would have liked — and what West Point requires. But there are some advantages going to Prep, Gina said. Like the cadets at West Point, Gina is considered Army enlisted, but instead of the usual five-year mandatory service after graduation, she will only be required to serve four. Also, she will be receiving a higher pay grade by going to Prep than if she was to start out at West Point. “I have a friend at West Point who went through Prep. He told me I should definitely do it,” she said.
Military academy Gina graduated in June from the New York Military Academy where she was highly decorated. Named first captain of the Corps of Cadets her senior year, Gina was only the fifth female to receive this rank since the school began admitting girls in 1975. In this position, she held the highest rank in the chain of command and was responsible for the entire corps. At the academy, she was also secretary of the National Honor Society, a member of the Academic Team, Debate Team and Drama Club, and an officer of Leo’s Club. She served as captain of the softball team and volleyball team and was the first female to compete on the academy wrestling team. A self-proclaimed perfectionist, Gina is tough, but easy to talk with. “I initiate conversations and I strive to perfect everything that I do,” she said. “Whatever task I am assigned to do, I make sure I do it as best I can... Coming in as a female, you have to be competitive to keep up with the guys.” Out of the 400 cadets at the New York Military Academy, only 70 were female. “The guys love the girls in leadership positions because they are a little more tough,” Gina said. “With the females, I do notice that they are harder than the guys are. The guys are more relaxed, like big brothers. Females push people harder, especially other females. But it’s a good thing.” Despite all of her achievements at the academy, Gina will enter West Point Prep at the same ranking as her fellow cadets.
Expectations Every morning since graduation from the academy, Gina said she has been waking up to work out, following a routine that includes running between three and five miles, push-ups, sit-ups and calisthenics. Since she’s been home, she has been trying to spend a lot of time with family and friends. She “finally” got her driver’s license and recently got her wisdom teeth removed, a requirement before entering the military. “They make you get your wisdom teeth removed because it can be very dangerous if they become inflamed while you are out in the field,” she said. When she was interviewed last week before reporting for reception day at West Point Prep, Gina said she was anxious to begin basic training. “I just want to get there and jump in, get back in the swing of things and keep my mouth shut,” she said. “I’m nervous because I know what to expect both physically and mentally. I know about the games they play. They set you up for failure, but it’s only a way of testing you.” Gina said she will hide the fact that she went to military academy as long as she can to keep her superiors from singling her out during basic training. “They’ll push me harder if they know I’ve been through this before,” she said. “You have to do as you’re told and not take what they say to heart. That is the most important thing. They don’t want to see anyone fail, but some inevitably will leave... It’s an old tradition, but it’s done more than anything out of concern. The (upperclassmen) are looking out for you in an older brother or older sister way. They push you to a certain level. They’ve all been through it, so they know how much a person can take.” Gina said the point of the games and the degradation is tactical. “When you are in the Army and you are leading real men and women into combat, you have to be able to take the pressure,” she said. “They want to see you succeed. No one wants to see someone fail.” She is looking forward to digging in and pushing herself to achieve great things, all the while knowing that once the year is out and she starts school at West Point, she’ll be run through the same rigamarole. Gina, however, seems to embrace the challenge. At West Point she is aiming to either study aeronautical engineering or aviation. She also has expressed interest in studying either Arabic or Chinese, two of the most difficult courses the school offers. She said eventually she wants a career in the Army flying Apache helicopters. “I’ve done amazing things already that most teenagers have never had the opportunity to experience,” she said of her time at military academy. “I just want to continue to work my way up.” © Copyright 2007 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers |
