I’m traveling to Bend, Ore. today to watch the induction of schoolkids into a program run by the National Guard. It’s similar to one we’re expected to see here in Bremerton. The state approved money for the school already.
UPDATE (7/27): It was brought to my attention that I failed to add more thoughts about the school.
A few things stand out. One, I went with photographer Larry Steagall and on the second day I brought a video camera. Only one time were we prevented from going where we wanted, and even then we were just asked to wait. We wanted to see what has happening with the girls in the school and they were in a private moment. Other than that the operators of the school gave us access to everything. From what I can tell, they hid nothing.
The first day of drill sargeant yelling was pretty intense and it started in front of the kids’ parents. In fact, that’s how they separated from their parents.
Third, I talked to three boys, who all wanted to be there. This was, of course, before the program began. By the end of it about 40 of the 150 or so students will have exited.
Larry and I plan to return a month or so from now.
It seems the folks running the Washington school have talked a lot with the operators in Oregon. There are some big differences geographically, which we’ll address when we finally run the story sometime this fall.
