For many students, applying to college is all about looking to the future. Students have to decide what schools to apply to, think about what they want to major in and even begin thinking ahead to what they will pursue after college.

Seniors Tommy Bernotas and Patrick Thornberg are planning to join the U.S. Military after college. Bernotas will be applying for the Navy ROTC, and Thornberg will be joining the National Guard.

The ROTC, or Reserved Officer Training Corps, is a way for students to join the military while still attending a non-military college.

Bernotas chose to join the Navy after his cousin got into the Annapolis Naval Academy. He has a grandfather and two uncles in the Navy as well. However, he also wanted to have a typical college experience. The ROTC allows students to mostly stay on campus with the exception of participation in some military-based activities.

“I would go to one of the colleges that has a ROTC program, and about once a month, I would have to do stuff for the Navy,” Bernotas said. “I would have the uniform and would have to go to a base.”

One of the positives of applying ROTC is that the NROTC, Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps, will pay for Bernotas’ tuition. In return, he will have to serve at least five years of active military service after his graduation.

Like Bernotas, Thornberg is also looking forward to a standard college experience. He chose the National Guard because he believes that they will be supportive and will help him work around school.

“With the National Guard, I don’t have to go to a military school, so I am going to try to get into a traditional college,” Thornberg said.

Unlike Bernotas, Thornberg is not planning on joining the military because of his family’s history in the force, but rather because of his own interest.

“I really don’t know what I want to do for my career, and I feel like [the National Guard] can bring me in the right direction,” Thornberg said. He will form a four or six-year contract with the National Guard after graduation.

Both students are also currently planning their futures after their military service. Bernotas hopes to get a job after his service to add to his military pension, while Thornberg is thinking about becoming a serviceman, such as police officer or a firefighter.