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Military education is all in the family in Hanoverton
HANOVERTON
One of William Prosko’s first thoughts when he arrived at the U.S. Military Academy was that his sister, Emille, a 2009 academy graduate, had sold him a false product when she told him he would love the experience.
“People were in my face. I was given 90 seconds to say goodbye to my family. I wondered, ‘What am I getting myself into,’” he said, recalling his first few minutes at West Point with a grin that perhaps promises payback for Emille.
That might be a problem, however, for William, who will graduate at the end of May and be commissioned a second lieutenant.
Emille outranks him. She is a first lieutenant stationed with the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Germany.
But at least he will outrank his younger sister, Ruth, a senior at United Local High School. She has been nominated for West Point, in New York, and also the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado, where she has been offered a slot.
And now that the West Point experience is nearly over for William, perhaps a thank-you to Emille is in order.
“If we were doing this interview during my ‘plebe’ year, I would have had a sour taste in my mouth,” he said. “But it definitely got easier, and I appreciate the bonds of friendships formed and the mutual understanding and commitment to serve our country.
“When you come in, you don’t know much about the Army. But, we were in it together ... a common experience in which you and your buddies gain the mental and physical toughness to endure,” William said.
He said it also gave him a chance to play football, and now when he goes to one of his sister’s basketball games the playing of the national anthem “hits me a little more.”
All of the Prosko siblings, children of Mark and Mary Ann Prosko of Hanover Township in Columbiana County, participated in athletics and other activities at United Local in Greenford.
William, 22, played football, basketball and ran track; Emille, 24, played basketball and ran cross country and track; and Ruth, 18, participated in volleyball, basketball and track.
Cadet William Prosko, who will serve in the Light Armor Branch, was interviewed while home on his final leave before graduation.
After that, he will report to Fort Benning, Ga., for seven months of officer training and then be assigned to the 101st Airborne Division “Screaming Eagles” at Fort Campbell, Ky. His military obligation is five years of active duty and three years as a reserve.
Mrs. Prosko said all her children like challenges.
Emille opened a book on colleges which said West Point was the most difficult to get into, saw that as a challenge and went for it, Mrs. Prosko said.
William and Ruth really appreciated the opportunities that Emille enjoys in the Army. They see that Emille has traveled throughout Europe and has been to Australia and other parts of the world. “She loves the exposure to different cultures,” Mrs. Prosko said.
Also, football was a big draw for William. He played when Army won the Armed Forces Bowl in 2010, she said. When he was a freshman, Emille was a senior cheerleader.
Mrs. Prosko said she is proud her children have chosen to go to military academies and serve and make a difference.
“I try not to think of them being put in harm’s way. But other people are, and you have to do your part, too,” she said.
“All my kids, no matter which direction they pick, as long as they are set in their faith, they’ll make me a happy mom,” she added.