by Sabrina Sanford

When a high school graduate pursues a military career, it is never a simple choice. That choice has a profound effect on the graduate, the parents and the siblings.

Over the past five years six graduates have made the choice to join the military following their graduation. Three of those six have siblings that are currently students at Hudson High.

Sophomore Jenah Cooper remembers the day her sister made that choice.

“I thought she was crazy,” says Cooper. “I was scared that something bad would happen to my sister.”

Katie Cooper enlisted in the U.S Army after graduation, leaving her family with mixed emotions.

“At first I was really upset, I know it sounds selfish, but I thought our family had given so much already.”

Being a military wife for 20 years, Pam Cooper could not believe that her baby girl was following in her father’s footsteps.

Thoughts became reality when Katie was deployed.

Overseas Katie Cooper hurt her back during physical training, setting her apart from the other soldiers.

“Three of Katie’s friends died when a truck was blown up during battle. If Katie hadn’t hurt her back, she would have been driving that truck, but instead she was working in a tower.”

The Cooper family was overcome with joy that she was safe along with a sense of grief for the families who lost their loved one.

They could not wait for Katie to return home.

“I was so excited, and I couldn’t help but cry,” Jenah Cooper said, describing the sight of her sister at her homecoming. “I was so happy to see my mom and dad together in the same place. It hasn’t been that way since their divorce.”

Katie Cooper and her family celebrated her homecoming in 2011.

Hudson High School graduate Alex Sanford also joined the military after graduation. Lcpl Alex Sanford was deployed to Afghanistan on January 15, 2011.

Sanford dealt with many troubles during his deployment, but the hardest day for him was Easter day 2011. Alex Sanford and his group were out on a two-day clearing operation that had started the day before.

“The heat soared to over 125 degrees, and we had gone south over 4 miles on foot with over 180lbs of gear on us,” he said.

On the second day of their assignment when they were headed back, one of his fellow Marines got hit by an IED.

“I was looking right at the group of them, when suddenly this giant mushroom cloud of dust erupted.”

Sanford was far enough away that he saw the blast before he heard and felt it. Seeing five guys get swallowed up in the smoke, Alex thought, “Is this really happening?”

“I survived but will be scarred for the rest of my life; it’s still a troubling thought,” Sanford said.

Sanford returned to the United States over the summer. Feeling weird but excited, LCpl Alex Sanford felt that it was surreal to be home.

“On the bus I imagined this is what a major league team in MLB would see and feel after coming home from the World Series.”