For high school students with civilian parents, choosing to go into the military after graduation can mean a big lifestyle change filled with uncertainties. But for teens whose parents have been serving their whole life, it's a decision that's often a lot easier to make.
At Fort Campbell High School, a Department of Defense Education Activity school at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, two recent grads who are the sons of soldiers are soon going to find out what an Army career is like firsthand. Each has enlisted in the Army and will head to boot camp toward the end of the summer.
Christopher Johnson II enlisted as a combat medic, a position his father — Staff Sgt. Christopher Johnson I, of the famed 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) — has held his entire life.
"He taught me a lot about how to do it. I learned CPR at a very young age," said Johnson, who credits those skills with helping him during his four years in Junior ROTC.
Johnson's father isn't the only legacy he'll be carrying on. His great-uncle was an Army Ranger who received a Bronze Star during the Vietnam War, and his aunt also served for 21 years.
Johnson said he switched his career prospects a few times over the years, from wanting to be an astronaut to an artist. Once he chose the Army, he looked at a few different options but eventually settled on something he knew a bit about.
"I knew … it would set up my future for success," Johnson said.
Meanwhile, Chase Cribbett enters the Army in August and will train as an infantryman. Like Johnson, his lineage includes a long line of service members, including his father, Sgt. 1st Class Don Cribbett, who still serves as an explosive ordnance disposal technician.
"My dad deployed four times in Iraq and Afghanistan," Cribbett said. His great-great-grandfather and great-grandfather both served in World War II, while his grandfather served in Vietnam.
Cribbett, who is the youngest of four siblings, said he'll be the first from his generation to follow in his dad's footsteps. He said he made the choice for one very basic reason.
"Defending my country," he said. "I'm very patriotic."
Both students said they believe growing up around the military will help them be more prepared than many other recruits.
"I already know how the process goes with getting a new ID or how military bases work," said Cribbett, who hopes to become an Army Ranger someday.
"I think it's helped me understand how to talk to people better," said Johnson, who attended three schools outside of Fort Campbell as his family moved duty stations.
Both said they're excited to see where their new journeys will take them.
Currently, more than 67,000 students are enrolled in DODEA schools, which operate in 11 countries and seven states, as well as Guam and Puerto Rico.
Johnson and Cribbett are part of a trend of increasing enlistment in the military ranks.
Army officials said the service exceeded its enlistment goal in fiscal year 2024, with more than 55,000 soldiers entering the service. The current fiscal year's recruiting target is 61,000 soldiers, with over 56,000 already signing up, according to Army Gen. James J. Mingus, vice chief of staff of the Army. Navy and Marine Corps officials said they also attained their recruiting goals last year and are on pace to do so again in 2025.