For self and country

In less than a year, Amber Chaney will be college bound, heading to New York City. At least that is the scenario the Prep Charter student has planned.

The reality is Chaney may be transplanted to unfamiliar lands that have simultaneously become a battleground of change — and continued uncertainty.

At 17, Chaney, of the 2100 block of South Rosewood Street, has joined the Army National Guard through a special program targeting high-school and college students.

On her enlistment, Chaney said it is "to encourage me to do different things and to find out what’s out there."

One benefit of Cheney’s decision is funding for college, money her mother, Lori Ann Weeks, can use since her daughter has seven siblings and stepsiblings.

However, low recruitment numbers continue to plague most branches of the military with fewer students taking advantage of this aid.

The war in Iraq is viewed as a possible culprit for the dwindling figures. In a recent New York Times/CBS News poll, 59 percent of Americans said they disapprove of President George W. Bush’s handling of the situation in Iraq. Also, the U.S. Military reported this week the death toll of U.S. forces in Iraq has surpassed 1,900.

Despite the statistics, the teen is not worried — even after military personnel informed her she has a "90 percent chance" of heading to Iraq after her training. She is not considered deployable until her training is complete in summer 2006.

"You face danger everywhere you go, everyday," said Chaney, whose goal is to become an oncologist. "You take the chance of getting shot walking down the street."

After viewing a TV commercial for the National Guard at age 16, Chaney visited her local recruiter for more information. Due to her age, she was told to come back next year if she was still interested.

Upon her revisit, Chaney was informed of the National Guard’s split-training option, which divides a soldier’s training requirements into two sections.

For example, Chaney completed a portion of the first section — basic training — over the summer. She is now enrolled in the National Guard’s new Recruit Sustainment Program, serving one weekend a month during her high-school senior year to complete physical-training exercises and lessons broadening core soldier skills, said Chris Cleaver, Pennsylvania Army National Guard spokesperson.

Upon graduating from Prep Charter, Chaney will begin the second portion of her training in a technical area for which she is qualified.

Required to fulfill a six-year enlistment obligation, the recruit is eligible to receive about $10,000 toward college tuition through the Montgomery G.I. Bill. The Montgomery G.I. Bill Kicker, paid as a stipend, could double this amount.

If a soldier qualifies for the Educational Assistance Program, the military foots the bill if a student attends a designated in-state institution or will pay an amount equivalent to this bill at any other school. Qualifications include obtaining a high-school diploma and having a six-year enlistment obligation with the Guard.

Chaney’s mother saw this financial support as a blessing, since forking over money to pay for her daughter’s education at New York University — Chaney’s school of choice — is not feasible.

When asked if Weeks and Chaney’s stepfather, Lindsay, would have been willing to take out loans, Weeks said, "we wouldn’t have liked to, but we would have."

Since there is a chance her daughter might be shipped overseas, Weeks remains scared, but supports Chaney’s aspirations.

"It does frighten me, but I put my daughter in God’s hands and I pray that every choice God makes for my daughter is the best for her," she said. "There will be a reason that she — God forbid — would end up going overseas. She has a reason or purpose."

THE PENNSYLVANIA ARMY National Guard has a goal of attracting 300 new recruits each month. The actual figure recently has been hovering around 200, said Cleaver, who noted being a student while serving in the National Guard holds no bearing on whether the individual is sent to Iraq.

He noted South Philly has "always been a difficult place to recruit," but added figures are recently on the upswing.

Young Pennsylvanians continue to sign up, despite living in a "nation at war" with a "great uncertainty" of the war’s future status, Cleaver said.

"Those units coming back [from overseas and the Gulf states devastated by Hurricane Katrina], they’re not getting out of the Guard," he said. "They are rewarding experiences. We had concerns that they might be getting out, but they’re not."

The newest difficulty for active members is finding the time to seek an education and use their financial benefits, which do expire, Cleaver said.

"We are continuing to accommodate their educational assistance with the demands of the National Guard," he said.

A guidance counselor in the area for more than 10 years, Betty Elliott has seen a dwindling number of students go the military route for college funding over the past few years.

Discussing various financial-aid options with her scholars, the counselor at South Philadelphia High School, Broad Street and Snyder Avenue, said, "I don’t persuade them. I don’t make up their minds. I don’t like to get into their business or their method of how they are going to pay for it."

Military recruiters visit Prep Charter at least twice a year, but last year only about 5 percent of the students entered the military or ROTC programs in college, said Robin Jones, guidance counselor at the school.

Depending on a student’s financial situation and background, Jones said she might suggest financial support via the military.

Though the U.S. Army’s recruitment numbers also have dropped, the last four months have seen a 5-percent increase, said Capt. Daniel Gager, commander at the South Philadelphia Recruiting Co. He credits the rise to enlistment bonuses and loan-repayment programs attractive to young recruits.

Gager noted fallacies about military service have hindered recruitment goals.

"There’s this misconception that as soon as someone enters the military, they’re off to basic training and in Iraq in four months," said Gager, who noted only one-third of U.S. Army forces are combat soldiers.

If she had to choose, Chaney said she would rather serve her country than obtain a college degree she doesn’t have to pay for out of pocket.

"It’s for the people who can’t fend for themselves. I fend for them," she said.