From Army Basic Training to Senior Year of High School

North Babylon High School senior Jake Cilento already knows where he is headed after graduation. That’s because he completed his Army basic training over the summer before returning to his senior year of high school.    

Cilento enrolled in the Split Training Option, which allows high school juniors to join the Army Reserves or the Army National Guard with parent or guardian permission, training as a senior with a local unit one weekend per month. Cilento completed his basic training for 10 weeks this summer at Fort Sill in Oklahoma. 

Cilento spoke with a U.S. Army recruiter when they visited North Babylon High School last year and decided this was the best option. “I always knew I wanted to serve my country,” he said. “I knew I wanted that extra discipline and it’s already completely changed my life.”

After finishing his senior year, Cilento will complete his advanced individual training. He will be stationed in Fort Gregg-Adams in Virginia. Cilento will be part of the Army’s transportation unit as a transportation management coordinator. “I am excited about this field because the skills translate to [the] real world and I’m learning a career I can do after the Army,” Cilento said.