Jaluit High School recently welcomed the US Army’s Oceania Engagement Team to the Marshall Islands for a week-long vocational opportunities exchange on Jabor.
Master Sergeant John Phillips delivered presentations informing students of training and career pathways in the uniformed services of the United States between visits to the JHS vocational training classes.
Phillips visited the Agriculture, Construction, Information Technology, Homemaking and Sewing programs at JHS where he learned about the curriculum progression from the tenth grade through to senior year projects.
Students shared their knowledge with the visiting soldier and coached him through planting eggplant seeds and sewing a pillowcase.
In addition to presenting on vocational opportunities in the US military, MSG Phillips facilitated team building activities, set up a display of military equipment, and offered an introduction to the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) for 11th and 12th graders. Phillips also met with students at Jabor Public Elementary School, St. Joseph School, and the Jaluit Campus of College of the Marshall Islands.
The ASVAB aptitude test includes eight sections used to assess a student’s proficiency in general science, English language vocabulary, paragraph comprehension, math, electronics, mechanical principles, automotive and construction knowledge. Taking the ASVAB is among the first steps in the enlistment process.
A team from the Honolulu Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) will administer the ASVAB on Majuro and Ebeye in January 2025.
Under the Compact of Free Association Marshallese citizens have the opportunity to enlist in six different uniformed services of the United States. These include the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force and Coast Guard.
A similar exchange is being planned with Northern Islands High School on Wotje Atoll.