Tanner Mendel Arms Himself for College

By Dylan Sabatos

Senior Tanner Mendel has big plans for life after high school. He plans on going to college for 4 years and then joining the Army.

Mendel is going to Manhattan Area Technical College. At MATC, he plans on pursuing a welding degree for 4 years.

“After college I plan on focusing on my military career, maybe try to get on the next deployment,” said Mendel.

Mendel is enlisted in the Army National Guard. However, he plans on joining the army after college. During the summer of 2013, Mendel went to basic training for the military. At first Mendel was scared and uncertain of what to expect and didn’t like having to write letters in order to communicate with friends and family, but overall he thought it was a fun experience.

He planned at first to join the Marines like his uncle. However, he decided that the army offered more.

“I did it to show him up after training and tell him he just got beat by the army,” Mendel said about his decision on joining the army.

Mendel believes that everyone should look into a career in the military.

“If you try and just look into it, you would be glad you did.”

Mendel is realistic when considering his career. He understands that there will be rode bumps along the way, but he understands that it is the bigger picture for the entire country.

“I think that my military career may have some hardships with relationships and moving a lot, but overall I think it is one of the best things I can do for my country.”