Students get a taste of army life

JASPER, Ind. -- The men fall into formation. Some seem familiar with the drill. Others make missteps. Some wear fatigues. Others stand rigid, clad in jeans and T-shirts.\nThe grassy grounds of Camp Atterbury are an assault on the senses and a forecast of later challenges. An ominous 40-foot tower stands tall. Rappelling ropes sway in a slight breeze. The crack-crack-crack sound of blanks and the thunderous crash of missile simulators linger in the air.\nTwice a year, recruiters from southwestern Indiana take groups of high school juniors, seniors and college students to the camp, a military training facility in Edinburgh, and let them get down and dirty. The camp is used to train nearly all branches of the military, including Navy Seals.\nThe semiannual Nighthawk Challenge is designed to help those who are considering joining the Army National Guard make a decision, and gives those who are not bound for the military an unforgettable experience.\nRecently, 200 young men and women from southwestern Indiana participated in four challenges: an air assault obstacle course, the gauntlet, rappelling and shooting an M-16 assault rifle.\nFor a day, they were soldiers.\nOn a tree-covered trail, they awkwardly march toward the first challenge. Sgt. 1st Class Gary Love, a recruiter for the Indiana Army National Guard in Jasper, bellows a melodic cadence. Members of the group respond in unison as the gravel scratches under their marching feet.\nFor cousins Jimmy Zink, 18, a junior at Southridge High School, and Chad Taylor, 16, a junior at Jasper High School, this march begins an adventure they have dreamed of since childhood.\nWithin the next month, they plan to sign up for the guard. Their minds are made up. The challenge is just a way for them to get a glimpse of what's in store for them in the future.\n"That's an adrenaline rush right there," Zink said as he climbed a 20-foot-high rope and shimmied down a smaller rope on the obstacle course.\nFor Josh Luebbehusen, 20, a Heritage Hills graduate, and Chris Schipp, 17, a senior at Forest Park High School, it is decision time. Both are interested in joining the Guard, but haven't made up their minds.\nAs the day pushes on, sweat dots the faces of the participants. One by one, each challenge is handled. Flat on their stomachs, Zink and Taylor slide under barbed wire. The sun gleams off the sharp edges of the wire, and dust clouds above.\nConfidence in their decision is growing. Maj. James Gentry of the Indiana Army National Guard in Jasper planned the event. "It builds self-confidence in the kids," he said. "It's a change in the their normal life just like it's a change in ours."\nGentry said the day will also give the students exposure to the military. \n"It is not for everybody and that's OK, but what is for everybody is building self-esteem and confidence," he said.\nWith deep breaths, Luebbehusen is able to climb the first rope and slide down the second. He continues to fight through the challenges and think of his future. He said he doesn't like heights, but he refuses to stop.\n"I'm a firm believer in facing your fears," said Sgt. Jason Gaynor, a recruiter in Tell City. "If they get nothing else out of it, they know they can get through a fearful situation."\nOn the trip back to Jasper, the roar of conversation is replaced by the sound of the wind flapping through the windows and the squeak of the bus. Nearly every participant is sleeping.\nAs the trek wears on, the sleeping gives way to soft chatter. Luebbehusen is thinking. Today brought him closer to a decision. He is now leaning more toward joining the Guard.\n"I'm not too fond of heights, but yet I dangled from a rope 40 foot high," he said. "It proved that I can do it and get through it"