David West after losing 110 pounds (from U.S. Army) |
FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. -- A dream will come true for a man from Plato when he enlists into the United States Army on Tuesday after losing more than 110 pounds. David West, 20, will be sworn into the Army during a ceremony at 10 a.m.
When West entered the St. Robert recruiting station nine months ago, he did not meet the basic enlistment criteria due to his weight.
“West lost more than 110 pounds to meet the entrance criteria for enlisting in the Army, through his diligence and hard work,” said Staff Sgt. Shawdelin Hall, St. Robert Recruiting Station Commander. “West was assisted by a highly motivated recruiting team who encouraged and tracked his progress.”
Hall said she was so impressed with West’s spirit and warrior ethos, that it was an easy decision for the station to help West meet his goals and accomplish his dream.
“West already embodies the Army value of personal courage, and he demonstrated the ‘I will never quit and never give up’ elements of the Warrior Ethos,” Hall said.
This cooperative spirit and dedication by many is just the first part of this future soldier’s effort. He reports to Fort Leonard Wood on May 14 to start his One Station Unit Training to become a combat engineer.
