19 year-old William Jacob Rutgers Ford from Pennsylvania chose to join a military academy.
“Where I am from, you’re lucky to leave your hometown. Most teens who just got out of high school either marry, go to Penn State University, which is just down the road from where I am from, or start working straight out of high school,” said Ford.
“I chose a different path and decided to do my best to attend a Federal Military Service Academy. I applied to all of them, and was accepted into the prep school for the Naval Academy, accepted into the class of 2011 at West Point, and accepted into the class of 2011 at the United States Merchant Marine Academy,” he said.
“Since I did not want to serve in the army (it’s compulsory if you attend West Point, as you graduate as a Lieutenant), and had no intentions about staying six years at the Naval Academy, so it looked right that I chose the USMMA,” he added.
Ford is currently a cadet or a junior officer on a commercial ship that is contracted by the U.S. Marine Corps to transport weapons and munitions for the armed forces in the Pacific Rim.
At the USMMA, it is required of him to spend an entire year broken into two segments of four months, and the other eight months serving as a cadet, and learning the job as an officer on board ships.
The other three years he spends back at the Academy located on Long Island, within a stone’s throw of New York City in classes, where they teach you how to be a Third Mate on a commercial maritime vessel.
All in all, when he graduates from the Academy, he will have a Bachelors of Science degree in Global Logistics and Intermodal Transportation, a Third Mate’s License, and be commissioned as an Ensign in the Naval Reserve.
“I come from a ‘classic’ military family, and it has always been my family’s belief that it is the duty of every American to do their part to give back in any way they can to the freedoms that we take for granted every day. I always looked up to my uncles, cousins, and brother as I saw them serve over the years, and so it was in a sense expected of me to serve as well,” said Ford, who is of Irish descent.
His obligation at the USMMA is to serve in the maritime business as a Third Mate for at least five years, and each of those five years, “I only have to sail 120 days. I also have to retain my commission as an Ensign in the Naval Reserve for a period of no less than eight years. This is required, as room, board, and most of the tuition is paid for by the federal government, and you are expected to give back for that,” he explained.
“I would recommend the military for any person who does not know what they want to do with their life. The discipline, self respect, and training that you receive will last throughout your lifetime, and this I swear. More specifically, I recommend the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Air Force, or the Navy,” he said.
At first, the thought of being out at sea was terrifying for the then high school graduate.
“It is a dangerous and scary prospect. Being a sailor is one of the most dangerous professions in the world, even if it is an extremely well paid job. My family prays for my safe return every day. It’s especially hard because, since you are so young, you have not been away from home for an extended period of time,” said Ford.
“Kids in college get homesick, but it’s different for them because usually they are in the same country as their parents. For me, I’m on the other side of the world, by myself, with only crew members whom I’ve never met before in my life. Some days, it gets real lonely,” he said.
But Ford says there are advantages to be in the shoes of a sailor.
“I have sailed been to Okinawa, Japan, Yeosu, South Korea, Sasebo, Japan, and Guam in addition to the beautiful island of Saipan. My adventures have been fairly good, and it’s amazing to see the world. People back home will never see the places I have, let alone be able to point them out on a map,” he smiled.
