Dozens of new recruits were sworn into the military May 3 during the Our Community Salutes’ 7th Annual High School Enlistee Recognition Ceremony at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Maj. Gen. Rodney Faulk, commanding general of the U.S. Army Reserve’s 99th Readiness Division, was a featured speaker during the event and administered the Oath of Enlistment to the new recruits.

“You join an unbroken chain of great American patriots that is 248 years long, and you’re joining our team and sharing in our great history,” said Faulk, hose division is headquartered on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. “Today, our military is unmatched in its values, leadership and capability. It’s a source of pride for Americans everywhere.”

Since 2009, Our Community Salutes enlistee recognition ceremonies have been held in 25 states by local communities in banquet halls, auditoriums, sports arenas and universities from New York to California, with tens of thousands of people attending in appreciation of the young men and women entering military service.

“You are contributing to society by enlisting in the military and serving our country,” said Martha Papson Garcia, U.S. Army director of Veterans Services at FDU. “The minute you decided to join the military, you decided to make a difference in this world.”

Faulk highlighted the historical significance of the new recruits joining the military in 2023, as this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Unites States’ shift to an all-volunteer military force. Having taken effect in January 1973, the all-volunteer force established and sustained a professional, competent military force.

“As an all-volunteer force, the military is unprecedented in its leadership, values, and unmatched capability; it is a source of pride for Americans everywhere,” Faulk said. “I charge you with the following: cherish the opportunity you’ve been given to serve; embrace your newfound responsibility of keeping Liberty’s torch lit around the world; and, finally, never stop being all you can be.”