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Support for student soldiers
West Branch athlete’s plight led Boccieri to co-sponsor SSSA
CANFIELD
U.S. State Rep. John Boccieri of Poland, D-59th, reintroduced the Students to Soldiers Support Act with the help of former West Branch High School student Courtney Papic.
Papic, now 18, was a member of the West Branch High School girls basketball team a year ago when she experienced a consequence for her service to the country: she was benched for a basketball game.
As a life-long player, Papic said she was a little shocked at the consequence for a few missed practices due to the reason: She was training at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station in Vienna.
Boccieri, who served about 20 years in the Air Force Reserves and the Air National Guard, soon heard about the incident and leapt into action by co-sponsoring the Students to Soldiers Support Act.
Although the SSSA no longer extends to Papic, who has graduated high school, she remains in support of it.
“I wasn’t expecting to be benched, but it happened and now I want to help other people like me,” she said.
Boccieri said Papic wasn’t the only one inspiring the legislation – the West Branch community’s support of her and the “misunderstanding” was, as well.
“The legislation ensures that the state provides a type of protection for soldiers [who are] doing everything they can to serve. It ensures they are not being penalized for that service,” Boccieri explained. “It extends the Uniformed Soldiers and Sailors Relief Act to students who are not only high school students, but also college students who are performing mandatory military service.”
The legislation mirrors a federal code that relieves service men and women from penalty due to a military obligation.
“We are extending state protection under the same federal code,” Boccieri said,
Papic will soon go onto basic training and technical school thereafter to work in security forces.