14 join 910th Airlift Wing

By KATIE SEMINARA

Fourteen men and women were inducted into the Air Force Reserve at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station on Wednesday.

VIENNA — Dorsia Hooker needs to be able to run nonstop for an hour and a half by May.

Hooker, 28, of Liberty, will head to Laughlin Air Force Base in Texas in seven months for her Air Force Reserve basic training.

“I’m doing this to serve my country,” said Hooker of enlisting.

She was one of the 14 men and women to be inducted into the Air Force Reserves as part the 910th Airlift Wing at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station on Wednesday.

The ceremony fell on the first day of the new training year, with recruits coming from Cleveland, Akron, Canton and Mahoning County.

Col. Timothy Costa, vice commander of the 910th, administered to participants an oath that took merely a minute.

“There aren’t many things you can do in a minute that will change your life, but this will,” Costa said while addressing the recruits who stood in front of a large American flag.

Though Hooker has until May before basic training, she will focus on a regimented physical workout she planned for herself in the meantime.

“It will be a lot of running and lifting,” said Hooker, who admitted running is what worries her most of the eight weeks of basic training.

Rizaldy Costa, 22, of Austintown, will also leave next year, but his training begins in January.

“I can’t wait for training,” Rizaldy said.

“I’m not scared at all; I’m excited,” he said.

During his three months before going to Texas, Rizaldy, like Hooker, plans to start training. Running, push-ups, plenty of rest and a healthy diet will be part of the pretraining, said Rizaldy.

“Burgers will probably be the most tempting food I’ll have to stay away from,” he said.

Some of Rizaldy’s family members were at the ceremony and couldn’t say enough about how proud they were to see him make such an important decision.

“We’re very happy for him; it’s a big step in his life,” said Evelyn Orjalo, who is Rizaldy’s cousin.

“He’s really proud of himself,” she said.

Max Orjalo is Rizaldy’s uncle who spent time taking care of Rizaldy when he was a child and made certain Rizaldy knew what he was doing before enlisting.

“He’s so happy. But I asked him again and again, ‘Are you sure?’” said Max.

And though Rizaldy believes joining the Air Force Reserves will be a challenge in his life, he was sure of his choice.

“I think it’s the best way to get my life straightened out and the best way to make decisions on my own,” said Rizaldy.

Though Col. Costa and Rizaldy share the same last name, they found out at the ceremony that they weren’t related.

“This is always so exciting; it never gets old,” said Col. Costa of the enlistment ceremonies.

“The enormity of the decision has never changed, and these men and women made a mature decision,” he said.

Col. Costa has been on the 910th base since 1990 where 1,500 men and women serve and said, “We’re happy to welcome the new members.”