WEBVTT

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the nation's top senior

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enlisted service members for the Army

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Reserves , Army National Guard , Air

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National Guard and Coast Guard Reserves

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received a one on one with former

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dropouts turned high school standouts

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at the National Guard Patriot Academy

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and Butler Ville indiana . Retired Army

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Major General Richard Wightman Jr , who

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serves as the deputy assistant

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Secretary of Defense for material and

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facilities , told the students that

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joining the army was the turning point

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that set him on the right path . But I

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was going nowhere fast . The army

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actually saved me . Obviously I , I did .

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Okay . So I salute you and I give you

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credit for what you're doing because I

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think this is the first step in a

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process that's going to take a greater ,

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greater private Jonathan mcclelland

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with a Louisiana Army National Guard

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told the Department of Defense is

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senior enlisted advisory council for a

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Reserve component that he was motivated

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to join because of what the Guard did

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for him during Hurricane Katrina . By

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joining this program . Get to serve the

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people that saved me the National Guard

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saving from the Hurricane and get to

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return the favor . After speaking with

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the students , a group ventured through

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the halls and visited other pupils hard

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at work Master Chief Petty Officer of

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the Coast Guard Reserve Force . Mark

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Allen said he is amazed at the Patriot

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Academy program and what the National

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Guard is doing to tackle the growing

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dropout epidemic of the Patriot Academy .

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What inspires me the most of the young

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people , You know how they turned their

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lives around and become successful .

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While the Patriot Academy is currently

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open applicants to the Army National

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Guard , the National Guard Leadership

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is looking forward to working with

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other branches to help America's youth

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who wished to serve their country from

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the National Guard Patriot Academy .

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I'm Captain Kyle Key .