Gov. DeSantis recognizes Bay Area students enlisting in military: 'I'm proud of you'

TAMPA - The newest members of the United States military received recognition at a ceremony in Tampa on Wednesday night.

The national nonprofit Our Community Salutes honored more than 120 Tampa Bay Area high school seniors who are enlisting right after graduation.

"D1 athletes have a signing day when they go off to college," Dr. Kenneth Hartman, the nonprofit’s Founder and President, said. "This is a signing day for the young people who decide to sign up for our nation."

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Hartman, a former Army officer, said the ceremony is even more important with enlistment numbers dropping.

"The numbers are down, and I think it’s something that has been happening over the course of many years. We're not going to change it overnight, and there's lots of factors, people being overweight… the attitude towards the military, the attitude towards service in general is just different with this generation, so when you do have less than one percent of the kids in the country who've made that decision, it's so much more important to honor them," he said. "That’s why this event is even more important than when I started it 16 years ago."

Clearwater High School senior Ja’Mariyon Bradley, who is enlisted in the Marines, is part of that one percent.

"I want to do something hard," Bradley said. "This isn’t easy, and then when I'm able to say ‘I'm a United States Marine,’ it's not the easiest job to earn, but it will feel great once I earn it," he said.

Governor Ron DeSantis, a Navy veteran, attended the ceremony as well and spoke to the seniors.

"As the governor of this state just know that I’m proud of you," DeSantis said. "I appreciate you being willing to raise your hand and I think it’s a decision that you will not regret."

Our Community Salutes also provides developmental programs and resources for enlistees and their families.

"Three quarters of the kids who we’ll honor tonight will only serve for four years and, unfortunately, many of them are going to get out and not know what they want to do," Hartman said. "So, part of our community is our OCS connect, where we built a portal for the moms and fathers of these young people to give them the information, empower them so they can help your son or daughter in the first few years," he said.

If you’d like to thank the enlistees for their commitment to our country, you can sign a virtual "Thank You" card by clicking here.

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