Each year, thousands of graduating seniors leave high school and head straight into the military. From school leaders to a number of current students at CHS, the military plays a major role in how people’s lives are shaped, both in the past and as they look ahead to their future.

In 2003, Camas High School Assistant Principal Tim Fox was deployed in Iraq with the Marines. In his time there, he grew both physically and mentally.

“It was a really challenging time, but at the same time, I had just turned 20 years old and I felt like it was an adventure. And that’s how I try to look at it, and it was also how I tried to keep my sanity at times. I was getting very little sleep, since I was in a warzone, and I was hearing things going off like crazy, and seeing a lot of pretty wild stuff. But at the same time, it helped formulate what I wanted to do with my life and the route that I wanted to take,” Fox said.

During his time in the Marines, Fox did a lot of self-reflection. Before joining the military, he had not given much thought to his future.

Fox said, “I came home and changed my major from business to history, because I felt like it was something that I was passionate about, and it was one of the very few subjects that I really cared about in school. It kinda helped me with what I felt my purpose was, and that was to serve people and help people, and a lot of that stems from spending many months at a checkpoint in Iraq, watching people, talking to people, especially kids, and that’s where I felt really strong, when I was talking to kids about their life and letting them know that we weren’t bad people…”

Fox said that this experience was the main reason that he wanted to work in the education field after going home. He felt that helping kids was something that he loved, and that he could relate with them on a more personal level.

November has been a month full of reflections, whether it be about the 2020 Presidential Election, the country’s veterans, those currently serving in our military, or the state of the citizens. Specifically, eyes have been on the election, which could have an influence on the United State’s military.

Several CHS students could be affected by these changes since they plan to join the military after high school.

Christian Stupak, a Freshman at CHS, hopes to become an officer in the military when he is older. Stupak motivated to enter the military for several reasons.

He said, “My grandfathers were both in the military, that’s my main reason. I’ve mostly been thinking of joining through an ROTC program.”

He thinks the military is “good how it is,” but “[does] not know how the election will affect the military, [and is] interested to see.”

Another CHS Freshman, Kendall Williams, wants to join the military to “serve our people.”

She explained, “Since a young age, I’ve always had pride in my country and have grown up saluting the flag. There are many benefits to joining the military, like growing confidence in yourself and being able to serve the country for good.”

For those who have served, are serving, or are aspiring to serve in one of the U.S. Armed Forces branches, the past and the future hold many challenges. Hard work is always put in by those who make the courageous decision to serve their country, and the lessons learned along the way are life-changing. Today on Veterans Day, those brave men and women who have made this great decision are honored and appreciated for their sacrifices.

On behalf of the Camasonian Staff, thank you Mr. Fox, and all veterans for your service.

Camasonian journalists Bianca Flores and Blake Harris contributed to this article.