Despite his dad’s apprehension about him going into the Marines, senior Ben Yanke currently works toward that goal weekly and has already signed to a four year contract.

Jeff Yanke, Yanke’s father served in the Air Force for 10 years and then the Navy Reserve. He’s warmed up the idea of Yanke in the Marines just recently.

“At first, my dad was kinda mad at me,” Yanke said. “He was in the Air Force and he saw that I wanted to join the Marines. He said they have a higher death rate and I told him that only depends on what I go into. After awhile, he started to realize that I really want to be a Marine.”

Yanke signed to a four year mandatory contract with the marines in late October

“I’ve always thought about doing it but I didn’t think I actually would,” Yanke said. “ I didn’t know what else I wanted to do so I thought why waste my life doing nothing, when I can do something.”

Yanke has been training every Thursday since September of this year. His friends encouraged him to get involved with the Marines.

“My friends Charlie and Chris told me about it and said hey you should try this out if you don’t know what to do,” Yanke said.

After graduation on Aug. 26, Yanke will ship out to a 13 week bootcamp in San Diego, Calif. He will graduate from bootcamp and return home for a couple weeks then leave again to receive his job in the Marines. He’s leaning towards becoming a military police officer but is considering other options as well. After the four year contract, Yanke is unsure of whether he’ll re-enlist.

“I’m excited to actually do something with my life right after high school,” Yanke said. “[Being apart of the military] means that I’m keeping my friends and family safe.”