Staff Sergeant Anthony Simmermon, a United States Army recruiter at Westfield High School, has been busy with both the school’s Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) program and Army recruitment program.
“The S.T.A.R. [Students Taking Active Roles] Club is a partnership between the high school and the U.S. Army, created to leverage the expertise and resources of local U.S. Army soldiers, to help students develop skills that will enable and encourage them to take active roles in their own life, within their families, their school and community, with the ultimate goal of graduating high school and creating enriching postsecondary options,” Simmermon says. “The S.T.A.R. Club utilizes the well-established Army JROTC curriculum to develop students’ leadership skills and positive characteristic traits, based upon the Army values of loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage.”
The ROTC is a group of college- and university-based programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces.
The S.T.A.R Club also provides students with leadership, citizenship and character development.
Simmermon notes that the response to the program has been very positive.
“I personally have had multiple students and staff members state that they think it is great to have an opportunity like this present at the school for all students to participate,” he says.
Simmermon is from New Jersey. “I have been in the Army for 13 years now, currently recruiting for the last two years,” he says. “I have been to nine different states and seven different countries during my duration of service. I am an artilleryman and certified to repel out of helicopters and from buildings.”
Simmermon is a Westfield fan.
“I enjoy the absolute respect for all military members serving and who have served this nation,” Simmermon says. “Also, my wife and I had a great anniversary date at the Grand Junction Plaza before the construction.”
“I would like to extend a thank-you for the community’s leadership past and present, in the past two years,” Simmermon adds. “They have not only improved the relationship with the community and the Army. In turn, they have changed lives. They have provided future leaders to this country on and off the battlefield.”
