New 2015 Commit - Dario Highsmith Jr (Ath) - Middletown HS CT

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

By going to Army he is agreeing to serve for a set amount of time. Is this not still the case??

Post-graduation: 5 year military commitment

 

[FDNY99]

HE needed a couple more points on the SAT to attend Yale or it was the prep route. With the Army offer, don't they have Army requirements as well? Or am I off base?

They have pretty strict academic requirements...which he must have met if they offered him.

 

[2Infinity]

Post-graduation: 5 year military commitment

A 5 year post-grad military commitment is huge. There's no way that this decision is a no-brainer as has been suggested in this thread. He may still take the Army offer, but those aren't strings you see attached to their offer, but rather the huge thick chains you see attached to battleships.

 

[FDNY99]

I'm not sure why this is a no brainer move to go to Army? That's a major life changing commitment to make just because they offered you a free ride. I get the whole "it's an honor to serve your country" bit and all but it's still putting your life on the line, just so you can get a good education for free. For some, this isn't such a no-brainer choice. We're not talking paying your way at UConn vs getting a full ride from another equal or better academic University that doesn't have a military enlistment requirement attached to it. By going to Army he is agreeing to serve for a set amount of time. Is this not still the case??

Yeah...like Da_Aisijimo_Gou mentioned it's a 5 year commitment after graduation. But any kid accepted into the service academies gets a full ride and actually gets a paycheck (very small...but pay non-the-less). That's a pretty prestigious offer...and one thing is for sure...education wise he can't choose wrong...each one is of high quality.

 

[Palatine]

Army and Yale are very, very good schools. Would not hold it against the kid if he decided on either.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Isn't it ironic that after a week of arguing over PWO and "serving your state" a young man is now faced with a decision to do that or accept a full ride to Army and the chance to serve his country.

 

[Excalibur]

The ball is in Diaco's court here. If he really thinks the kid can play, he should pony up the scholarship offer.

 

[Stainmaster]

Any chance of something breaking tonight, or does this all come down to who gets the fax tomorrow?

 

[Carl Spackler]

FWIW: Unless things have changed in the past 30 years, a "scholarship" offer to USMA, has nothing to do with $, and there is a 5 year service commitment after graduation. You go in as a 2nd LT I believe from the USMA? There are situations where service commitment time can be reduced, but it's there.

But reason for me writing - if the kid is accepted at the academy, he's not paying for his education anyway. A scholarship offer from a military academy is a basically the fast line through the admission process - still got to get through all the hoops to get in, but don't have to wait in line as long. What it says to me, is that the kid is high level character and potential for leadership, and I like that, and he can play football well enough for Army to want him for their competition on the schedule - which includes us.

If the kid chooses the USMA - he's got nothing but respect from me, and the timing that appears to have happened here, is such that I really, really like the profile of athlete that Diaco is going after - when the USMA is looking to offer guys that want to come to UCONN.

Yet again, a great example of Diaco doing what Edsall did not in his later year, and that is making UCONN a desireable destination- a school with things to offer.

 

[Dogged]

A 5 year post-grad military commitment is huge. There's no way that this decision is a no-brainer as has been suggested in this thread. He may still take the Army offer, but those aren't strings you see attached to their offer, but rather the huge thick chains you see attached to battleships.

Army grads do not serve on battleships. Unless he is assigned to administration or education(these are small numbers), he will be in a boots-on-the-ground situation. Who knows where that will be in 5 years?

 

[Palatine]

These days, the Army 5-year commitment after graduation can be looked at as a guarantee of a job after graduation. That is actually a plus.

 

[2Infinity]

Army grads do not serve on battleships. Unless he is assigned to administration or education(these are small numbers), he will be in a boots-on-the-ground situation. Who knows where that will be in 5 years?

Are you for real with this comment? lol Of course Army grads don't serve on battleships! Geez! The example was used only to illustrate the difference between what essentially is NO commitment (no strings) post graduation and the very heavy commitment he'll have afterwards (thick chains) with our military if he attends Army.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Army grads do not serve on battleships. Unless he is assigned to administration or education(these are small numbers), he will be in a boots-on-the-ground situation. Who knows where that will be in 5 years?

I think he was being metaphorical....

 

[Dogged]

Are you for real with this comment? lol Of course Army grads don't serve on battleships! Geez! The example was used only to illustrate the difference between what essentially is NO commitment (no strings) post graduation and the very heavy commitment he'll have afterwards (thick chains) with our military if he attends Army.

I apologize. Didn't mean to touch a nerve. I don't think the kid should go to West Point to play football. He should go there to serve his country and to be fair, he should understand that before he makes his decision. If the football works out, that's great.

 

[Dogged]

I think he was being metaphorical....

He was and I was trying to be (iron)ical. I hoped it might cause a smile somewhere. We could use it today on the Boneyard.

 

[2Infinity]

I apologize. Didn't mean to touch a nerve. I don't think the kid should go to West Point to play football. He should go there to serve his country and to be fair, he should understand that before he makes his decision. If the football works out, that's great.

Thought you were serious...those smiley faces can come in very handy when you want to be ironic or sarcastic or whatever. Otherwise...tough to tell from the written word.

As for the discussion topic, there have been many relevant comments posted here about what an Army commitment means...I just hope that DH has been getting feedback on all these fronts so he understands that his commitment to Army would be for a lot more than just playing football.

 

[Dogged]

Thought you were serious...those smiley faces can come in very handy when you want to be ironic or sarcastic or whatever. Otherwise...tough to tell from the written word.

As for the discussion topic, there have been many relevant comments posted here about what an Army commitment means...I just hope that DH has been getting feedback on all these fronts so he understands that his commitment to Army would be for a lot more than just playing football.

I thought of that just a moment ago!

 

[Bonehead]

Isn't it ironic that after a week of arguing over PWO and "serving your state" a young man is now faced with a decision to do that or accept a full ride to Army and the chance to serve his country.

I say serve your country, there is no greater honor, but I am biased as a former Marine and a graduate of Hawaii Pacific University (born and raised in CT is my UConn connection!)

 

[Dogged]

I say serve your country, there is no greater honor, but I am biased as a former Marine and a graduate of Hawaii Pacific University (born and raised in CT is my UConn connection!)

So you're really not a Bonehead: you:re a Jarhead!

 

[Bonehead]

So you're really not a Bonehead: you:re a Jarhead!

True - we already have a Jarhead 1775 - but I like being the Bonehead of the Boneyard - it leads to easy personal assaults on my postings!!

 

[Jarhead_1775]

True - we already have a Jarhead 1775 - but I like being the Bonehead of the Boneyard - it leads to easy personal assaults on my postings!!

We all earned the title!

 

[BNich]

They have pretty strict academic requirements...which he must have met if they offered him.

Just going off of an article that I read.

 

[Greathusky]

Desmond Conner ‏@desmondconner 10m10 minutes ago
#UConnFootball commit Dario Highsmith of #Middletown is honoring his commitment to #Huskies

 

[UConnDan97]

Desmond Conner ‏@desmondconner 10m10 minutes ago
#UConnFootball commit Dario Highsmith of #Middletown is honoring his commitment to #Huskies

Sweeeet...

 

[Stainmaster]

Setting a great example for future in-state kids.