By Ashley Attanucci
Staff Writer

Imagine knowing exactly where you want to be in 20 years. Senior Chase Pope, who is already enlisted and committed, plans on dedicating the next 20 years of his life to the United States Army.

Since childhood he has known that the army was the place for him, mainly influenced by his older brother already enlisted. Pope has spent one summer so far training at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO for training sessions that last five weeks, with the aspiration of leaving the army retired as a

“I like everything about it; I just like the lifestyle and it’s the preferable job for me because it’s just so much fun,” Pope said.

Although Pope enjoys the work gone into training, he also admits the toughness. Beyond month long training away from home, Pope is required to join his unit at base in Grand Prairie one weekend out of the month for overnight training that includes everything from drown proof training (which involved swimming in uniform with a combat load), shooting range practice and vigorous pepper spray courses in order to become licensed.

“Sometimes people get mad and want to get out. It happened a lot during Basic,” Pope said. We just had to help each other through. I didn’t ever think I would quit but a couple times [training] got pretty hard. The main thing that helped me was writing letters and getting them from my family.”

He recalls his favorite experience in the army so far: field training which involves setting up a perimeter and intense missions (like obstacle courses).

“It was brutal,” Pope said. “It was the hardest three days of my life.”

But Pope enjoys the challenges and says being outdoors is a plus.

Pope lives with both his parents who are very supportive and knowledgeable about AIT (Advanced Individual Training), having had one son already go through the process. Pope’s brother Jeff, 24, has been deployed to Kuwait and Iraq and is home now, currently going to base training once a month like Chase.

Jeff also attends the base in Grand Prairie once a month. And although the siblings have not trained together, they hope to be deployed together as soon as possible, and hopefully be part of the same unit.

“I was pretty excited when he got in,” said brother Jeff Pope. “I was in Iraq when he enlisted [but] its’ cool seeing him in the army now.”

Jeff, Aimme (one of three sisters), Chase’s parents Mike and Charlotte, grandparents and other family flew to Ft. Leonard Wood to see Chase graduate Basic training in August of 2009.

“I feel very proud for one thing that he’d want to do this at such a young age,” mother Charlotte Pope said. “Right now he’s talking about going full-time; I feel good about that and am very supportive; overall I am very proud that he’d make that sacrifice and has that desire”

Beyond growing closer to his family through the process of training at such a young age, Pope has met many new people and friends.

“I had a few guys I was really close to and I still keep in touch with them. They live all over the country but one is in my unit in Grand Prairie.”

Although Pope’s contract with the army will expire in 4 years, he hopes to remain dedicated to the army for the next 20 and increase his rank and experience until retirement.