While Burroughs students were enjoying their last bit of rest and relaxation or packing their bags for back to school, Burroughs senior Kelvin Panergo was loading his army duffel bag for duties.
Panergo, who enlisted in the Army in April, left for boot camp June 12 as part of a split training program. He is now back at Burroughs and will complete his advanced Army training after graduation.
Basic training, or boot camp, is an intense process that introduces recruits to the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of military service. Recruits throw themselves into an environment where they are going to be working harder than they ever have before.
Spending 72 days in Fort Jackson, South Carolina, with his fellow Army trainees from across the United States and Puerto Rico, Panergo underwent an eye-opening experience that he will never forget.
“At first we struggled, because we had to get used to other people’s ways of doing things,” he said. “We had to put our differences aside to work toward our bigger goal of getting through boot camp.”
While doing everything as a team, Panergo said he learned a lot about other people. He learned to depend on others and more importantly, other recruits learned that they could depend on him.
The camp experience began with paperwork, physical exams, a haircut, and uniforms. Then came the physical work: running, push-ups, sit-ups, obstacle courses, and strength training.
As the training progressed, Panergo transitioned from the Red to the White to the Blue phase. Days became harder as he went through each phase, beginning first with basic tactical training, to tougher rappelling practice, and then training with automatic weapons.
Aside from camp being physically grueling, it was also emotionally exhausting. Panergo and his fellow recruits were under constant stress, with the drill instructors piling on more pressure.
“You learn to just do the right thing (to satisfy your drill sargeants),” said Panergo. “Don’t mess with them and they won’t mess with you.”
Towards the finale, Panergo had to pass the Army Combat Fitness Test, a six-event evaluation. As a final challenge, he and his fellow trainees were tasked with completing a 10-mile ruck with 40 pounds of weight on his back to assess endurance — an effort that he still recalls vividly.
“My legs felt numb, but once we sat down afterwards I felt relieved that I’d met that final requirement,” said Panergo.
Panergo completed these tasks as students were returning to campus. He missed the first few weeks of school, but he is now back at it, taking a rigorous courseload of Advanced Placement and dual credit courses, equipped with a plan for his future and the knowledge gained from his boot camp experience.
