Four young women and ten young men were sworn in this month as the newest U.S. Army recruits. They are the “cream of the crop,” among the top ten percent of those who took and passed the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) here in the Marshall Islands. Marshallese citizens continue to join the U.S. Armed Forces at a higher rate than any U.S. state. Recruits receive valuable training and defend the ideals we all cherish – democracy, freedom, and the rule of law. Ambassador Armbruster congratulated the latest group of Army recruits and witnessed their swearing in ceremony, along with family and friends. After more processing in Honolulu, they will be off to nine weeks of Basic Training. Thanks to the Compact of Free Association, Marshallese citizens are also eligible to attend the Coast Guard Academy, another great career choice for young people from a maritime country. Hats off to the new recruits! Hoo-ah!