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In our Aug. 17, 2022 edition of The Greenville Advocate, we received an opportunity to highlight a senior from Greenville High School, Jacob Pryor, who spent a portion of his summer break tackling the challenge of graduating from U.S. Army basic training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

Pryor, one of several students within the coverage area of Greenville Newspapers, Inc., who accomplished this feat, completed the first phase of a task less than 1% of our nation will experience, as service within our nation’s military branches is voluntary.

Military service requires dedication, hard work, and a desire to put the needs of our country ahead of your own. Pryor follows in the footsteps of many who’ve served their country honorably, and from all appearances, he seems to understand what his service entails.

Completing basic training isn’t a simple task. According to a Military.com article entitled “The Top 3 Reasons You Could Fail Basic Training,” approximately 15% of recruits for military service don’t make it past basic training.

Simply by completing the 10 weeks of training colloquially known to the average citizen on the street as “boot camp,” Pryor and others in our coverage area demonstrated the discipline, character, and humility it takes to earn the right to be called a Soldier.

It is our collective hope here at The Greenville Advocate that Pryor and his peers who’ve also completed the journey through basic training, enjoy their senior years, make tons of fond memories, and keep their eyes forward to what lies ahead on their respective paths.

March on toward greatness, and may your journeys lead you safely home.