3 Scholarship Cadets Lead Group of 9 Heading into Service

In his nine years with Riverhead High School's Naval Junior Officer Reserve Training Corps, Lt. Col. Pete McCarthy said that among the 2012 graduating class, more students plan to enter the armed forces than he's ever seen.

Led behind three ROTC scholarship-winning students, at least nine Riverhead seniors involved with the NJROTC program will be serving their country following graduation at RHS. And that doesn't even count two more who are not in the NJROTC program.

McCarthy said he's not exactly sure what's driven this group of seniors - "It's just a motivated group," he said - though he did point out that improvements to the G.I. Bill made at the federal level probably didn't hurt, allowing for one thing, more tuition money after recruits finish their service.

NJROTC Commanding Officer Amanda Gallo was awarded a $180,000 scholarship, as were Cadet Brian Weinhardt, the operations officer in the NJROTC, and Cadet Steven Kruszon, the group's supply officer. All three scholarships require the students to enlist in the service of his or her choice after graduation from college.

Gallo said herself on Thursday that she wasn't sure why she's going into the NROTC program at Rennselear Polytechnic University, and couldn't speak for her peers. It's just something she feels compelled to do.

"I actually have no idea why so many from year's group" are entering the armed forces, she said. "I just know this group of seniors is the most motivated I've seen in all my four years with the NJROTC ... People ask me why, and I don't know. It's just something I feel like I want to do. Like, you know those days you just want to eat chocolate? It's kind of like that."

Weinhardt plans on attending the University of George Washington to become a naval officer.

Cadet Matt Mulvaney, who had applied for a Marine Corps ROTC scholarship and found out recently he did not get one, still plans on attending the University of Maine's Marine Corps Officer Training Program. McCarthy said that the Marine Corps has the fewest officers of the armed forces branches, and "it must have been extremely competitive" as the federal government plans to cut the number of officers in coming years.

Cadet Steven Kruszon was the most recent NJROTC student to be recognized, getting word this week that he earned an Air Force scholarship, which he plans on using when he attends Norwich University in Vermont next year. Kruszon wants to serve as a liaison officer, which works on the ground, coordinating air forces for ground troops. 

Kruszon said he realized he wanted be an officer as far back as the eighth grade. He walked with his mother, who is involved with the American Legion Ladies' Auxiliary, in local Memorial Day parades for close to a decade. After seeing the "cohesion" between veterans and service members young and old, it's something he knew he wanted to be a part of.

"I don't know how to say this," he said. "It's not a family. But it's something you're a part of that you know you're making a difference with."

The following individuals, Kruszon said, are planning on entering the armed services upon graduation: 

• Marine Corps: Justin Ernst, Greg Torres, Frank Basile, Colin Ott, Darien Riley
• Coast Guard: Jacob Phillips
• Navy: Porscha Reeder
• Marine Corps officer: Matt Mulvaney
• Air Force officer: Steven Kruszon
• Navy office: Amanda Gallo, Brian Weinhardt