YOU ARE HERE: Central Kentucky Home→Collections→Jrotc

Local cadet finishes first semester at West Point

January 07, 2009|Rachel Parsons

After a full semester at one of the most prestigious military schools in the country, Ryan Borja is starting to learn the ropes. The 18-year-old Winchester native has been training at the United States Military Academy at West Point for several months. Borja is adjusting not just to life as a college freshman, away from home for the first time, but also as a United States Army cadet and future military officer.

"We had to do a summer training. It's called Beast. That is kind of an introduction into military training. That gets you acclimated into officership and what it means to be a leader â?¦ . It's meant to be a shock. It's like shock therapy," Borja said, calling it a transition period from civilian life to military life. "It was an experience."

But the George Rogers Clark High School alum and former JROTC cadet said his background made that transition much smoother than it could have been.

"JROTC helped me out a lot with expecting the physical part and the military skills. A lot of the military skills I already knew," Borja said.

There is one aspect of life at West Point, however, that Borja admits he was not prepared for.

"They stress attention to detail, so all the summer training is showing you how an officer should act â?¦ The thing I did not expect - even though I was told, I didn't really grasp it - is the attention to detail," Borja said.

Even meal times at West Point are structed, ritualized affairs with cadets being served in a certain order.

Although a cadet's first year can be difficult, Borja said that he is having a good time and is looking forward to the opportunities a West Point education will provide him.

"Plebe year, it's the first year, it's not really meant to be enjoyable, but I do enjoy it â?¦.When I graduate there will be lots of job opportunities, not just being an officer," Borja said.

Contact Rachel Parsons at rparsons@winchestersun.com.

|

|

|