Oath from Space Enlists 2 MTHS Seniors, Grad

COURT HOUSE – Two Middle Township High School (MTHS) seniors and a 2011 MTHS graduate, who is a substitute teacher at the school, made history Feb. 26 when they participated in the first nationwide live oath-of-enlistment ceremony from space.
According to a release, seniors Dylan Hoffman and Anthony Anderson “swore-in” along with Justin Rhinesmith, a substitute teacher along with coaching football at the high school.
The three simultaneously took the oath along with more than 1,000 other future service members from more than 150 locations throughout the country via a call from the International Space Station (ISS). 
U.S. Army Col. and NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan, who is on the ISS, administered the oath of enlistment during the event, which was live-streamed on NASA TV and fed into MTHS, and other schools around the nation.  
Anderson, 18, loves working with his hands and is excited to embark on a career in mechanics through the Army. “In my sophomore year I met a recruiter and I just knew that this would be a great way for me to do what I love,” he stated.
After completing basic training, Hoffman will go to school to be an infantryman with the Army, something the 17-year-old said he always wanted to do. “My grandfather was in the Army and I just always knew I wanted to be on the front lines.” 
Rhinesmith, also Hoffman’s football coach at MTHS, said he was excited more than anxious about this next chapter in his life.
The Villanova University graduate will head to Officer Candidate School once he completes basic training. “I was always jealous of people who got to swear-in during big football games in stadiums and things like that, but we had an astronaut in space swear us in and, wow, what an amazing experience.” 
Students who are part of MTHS’s newly-formed Navy National Defense Cadet Corps (NNDCC) were also in attendance for the oath of enlistment. “What an amazing opportunity for our cadets to experience,” stated Senior Naval Science Instructor Susan Blood, a former lieutenant commander with the Coast Guard. “Many of these students have never seen someone sworn-in before, so this is great for them to witness.” 
“We are proud of all of our students, but especially these students who have such a clear vision of their goals and who have taken the initiative to enlist to serve our country,” said Superintendent Dr. David J. Salvo. “It’s so great to not just have Dylan and Anthony participate in this historic ceremony, but to have Justin come back and be part of it is just wonderful. It’s a great day for Middle Township.”