FORT KNOX, Ky.  —  For Cadet Ryan Gibbs from James Madison University, assigned to 5th Regiment, Advanced Camp,  his dad was always his biggest inspiration. From a young age, he knew that he wanted to be just like his dad and join the military.

Although he now believes that ROTC was the right choice, it hasn’t always been the path he thought he would take.

“I didn’t want to put my kids through moving like I had to do and then right after, when I was applying to college, my mom and dad knew I was being stubborn and they convinced me to at least enroll in ROTC classes and once I got there, I immediately knew this is what I want to do,” Gibbs said.

Grateful for his parents’ support and motivation to join ROTC, he is now looking forward to what his future could look like. Gibbs hopes to branch into engineering just as his dad did.

“It really translates to civilian life, but my dad was also an engineer in the army, so it’s kind of motivation.”

Similarly, for Cadet Nicholas Sorell from High Point University assigned to 5th Regiment, Advanced Camp, his mom is his biggest motivator when deciding to join the Army.

“My mom is a driving factor in a lot of this. She was the one that really helped me try to look for scholarships, stuff like that, ways to actually achieve my goals,” Sorrel said.

Despite not being directly involved in the military, working as a civilian as a wellness center director, Sorell explains how she has encouraged him throughout the process of joining ROTC.

“She guided me through everything and if it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t even be here right now,” Sorrel said.

For many cadets, it’s the people we don’t see, behind the scenes, who impact the cadets the most.

“I’m the man I am today because of my dad’s service,” Gibbs said.