“It’s an honor, really, to have all these people show up,” said Pipestone student Makaden Krempges. “It really means a lot to us.”

Last week, a few different southern Minnesota high schools held ceremonies to recognize students enlisting in the Minnesota National Guard. At Pipestone Area High School, students took the oath of enlistment in front of an audience including family members, classmates and school officials.

“I think it’s important to recognize other National Guard members,” said Staff Sgt. Gabrielle Bullerman, who helped lead the ceremony.

“Joining the nation’s military is no small thing. These high school students are committing themselves to living Army values and being part of something bigger than themselves,” Bullerman told the audience.

Photo by Deb Gau Pipestone Area High School student Ericka Torres Vivanco signed a ceremonial enlistment contract as part of Friday's program.

She said part of the students’ commitment would mean completing basic training and advanced individual training for their roles within the National Guard.

Students Angel Garcia, Carloseriel Perez-Garcia, Ericka Torres Vivanco, Arianna Hollis, Thomas Lejia, Jose Rivas Campos and Makaden Krempges each took the oath of enlistment and signed a ceremonial enlistment contract. They also heard some words of encouragement from Col. Brian Douty, a National Guard member and member of the Pipestone-Jasper graduating class of 1998.

Douty said some of his reasons for joining the National Guard included the tradition of military service in his family, and getting financial assistance for college.

However, his experiences ended up being about more than that.

“What I didn’t realize was, when I made the decision to join the Guard, how it opened up doors, shaped my character and built a career that I could never imagine when I was at your age,” he said.

More than anything, Douty said what made him stay with the National Guard was the people he met.

“The Guard becomes your team, your support system, and in many cases your second family,” he said.

“You are taking a step that very few choose to take,” Douty told students. “You guys are committing yourself to something bigger than any person, and that matters. It matters to your state, to your, community and to every soldier standing beside you.”

Some of the group of Pipestone students said their reasons for enlisting in the National Guard were similar to Douty’s. Angel Garcia said his grandfather had served in the military, and it was something he had been interested in since he was younger. Krempges said joining the Guard would also be helpful for him in paying for higher education.

Garcia said it was good to be able to have friends and family be present at the enlistment ceremony, and to go through the ceremony together with fellow students. “It’s really nice,” he said.