“Blue Star Mothers is made up of mothers, stepmothers, grandmothers, foster mothers and female guardians who have children serving, or have served in the military,” Chapter Secretary Carol Coombs, said in welcoming those in attendance.

“Our mission is to support our service members, veterans, family, while honoring the sacrifices they make for our country. Tonight is about recognizing the courage, commitment, and selflessness of these young men and women as they begin this important journey,” Coombs said.

Pastor Dr. Charles Teffeteller, who offered invocation at the ceremony, shared that his son died serving as an Army Chaplain with the 101st Airborne Division.

“Tonight, we gather to celebrate a remarkable group of young men and women who stand on the threshold of an extraordinary adventure,” said chapter president. Brenda Everett.

“As high school graduates preparing to enter military service, you have chosen a path of courage, sacrifice and commitment to something greater than yourselves. In a nation where only a small percentage of citizens volunteer to serve in the armed forces, you are joining the proud 1% who accept the responsibility of defending our country and protecting the freedoms we hold dear,” Everett said.

“As you begin this next chapter, remember that you carry with you the support of your families, your communities, and organizations like the Blue Star Mothers,” she said.

The students celebrated, their school districts and the military branches they will be entering include:

• Army National Guard: Justin Figard, of Montgomery; Ryan Meredith, Jayden Wright and Alana Watson, of Montoursville; and Althea Street, of South Williamsport

• Army Reserves: Sawyer Fry, of South Williamsport, and Gavin Lakes, of Montoursville

• Air National Guard: Raiden Felix, of Montgomery

• U.S. Navy: Alyssa Heverly, of Montgomery, and Alison Sweeley, of Jersey Shore

Lakes’ mother accepted his honors, as her son has already left for basic training.

Dignitaries in attendance included state representatives Joe Hamm, R-Hepburn Township and Jamie Flick, R-South Williamsport, as well as Janenne Goliash, representing State Senator Gene Yaw, R-Loyalsock Township and this year’s keynote speaker, Retired U.S. Army Sgt. Major Kevin Bittenbender.

Bittenbender, a Montgomery native and combat veteran from Montgomery, who served for 34 years, is an adaptive athlete who became involved in hand cycling after losing his leg following exposure to weapons burn pits while on duty in Afghanistan.

Most recently, Bittenbender brought home two bronze medals in skeleton at the Winter Paralympics World Cup events in Norway and Switzerland, before coming in third place at the world championships in Park City, Utah. He has also completed 75 marathons.

He is a founding member of Joint Task Force 22 to Zero, a nonprofit organization that helps veterans and first responders battling PTSD, traumatic brain injury and suicidal ideation.

Joining Bittenbender was his service dog.

Bittenbender spoke of suffering from survivor’s guilt following an unfinished conversation with team leader Major Hank Ofeciar, who had asked Bittenbender what he wanted his legacy to be.

Ofeciar and two others were killed when Bittenbender’s convoy was ambushed on Aug. 27, 2007.

“The first thing that came to my mind was not having the opportunity to finish that conversation, and that word legacy is what stood out. That word resonated anytime I heard it, anytime I read it, anytime that I was exposed to that word, it would send me into a deep depression,” he said, adding that that this would eventually lead him to attempt suicide.

But, it would take one call from what Bittenbender referred to as a “battle buddy” that led him to seek mental health assistance.

To help the soon-to-be servicemembers with any struggles they may encounter, Bittenbender offered what he called “the three Ps and turning on the A.C.,” likening it to a recipe with five ingredients.

The first P represents finding purpose, the second P stands for being passionate about their endeavors, whatever they may be, while the third P is being part of something bigger than themselves.

“The A.C. is probably the two hardest ingredients to have,” Bittenbender said, with the A standing for having a positive attitude and the C representing a willingness to step out of one’s comfort zone.

“I was lacking a lot of those ingredients, and it just took one phone call, one phone call out of the blue to help me realize, hey, I got to reevaluate what I’m doing,” he said.

“I just want you to know that if you’re going through a tough time, I’m here for you, and encourage you to reach out and do the same thing, because it just takes one spark, one phone call, one person to change the direction that someone is going. That’s all I ask,” Bittenbender said, before offering the recruits and their families an invitation to be his guest at the NASCAR race in June in Pocono Mountain.

“There’s no greater uniform that you’ll ever wear than the uniform of the Armed Forces of the United States of America,” said Hamm, a six-year veteran of the Army National Guard, who was called to duty following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, serving as an 11B infantryman.

While stationed in the Al Anbar Province of Iraq from January 2005 to July 2006, Hamm’s company would see 83 members killed, seven of them Hamm referred to as “brothers and best friends.”

“The reality of serving this nation is that you’re signing a blank check to the United States of America, and the price could be in up to and including your life, but I want you to know that there will be nothing you’re more proud of than your service to this nation. You will see opportunities that most will never get,” he said, noting that only 2% of the population at any given time can identify as veterans.

“You are the patriots who are going to make sure that this flag still stands for freedom, and that we will continue to be able to enjoy the freedom and liberties that we have,” Hamm said.

“Freedom isn’t free, and that’s the reality of serving,” he said.

“Thank you for stepping up to serve our country, and certainly, if there’s ever anything I can do for you, please look me up, I will be your battle buddy. I will do whatever I can for you, because we all need those who will stand shoulder to shoulder with us in our time of need,” Hamm offered.

“I never served, but my family certainly has shed a lot of blood, and I get full of raw emotion when I say thank you,” Flick told the future soldiers.

“My grandfather, Benjamin Weller was a Marine in World War I, and there was the Battle of Belle Wood, one of the most decisive battles in June of 1918 It lasted about three weeks, and that’s where we got the nickname the Devil Dogs,” he said, adding In that timeframe, there were 9,777 casualties, his grandfather among them.

Flick’s father served in the U.S. Airforce post-World War II, and his brother-in-law was one of those killed serving alongside Hamm.

That tradition has carried through Flick’s children.

His oldest son was a cryptologist with the U.S. Navy for four years, while youngest son, Secoy is currently stationed with the U.S. Army in Poland.

Flick adopted Secoy after hosting him through the Fresh Air Fund, starting at age five.

“Secoy is from inner city Brooklyn. His father was in a gang, a crypt, and he’d murdered two bloods,” he said of his son’s initial rough upbringing.

“When he graduated from South Williamsport, he then joined the military. He went from being a gang kid to saluting the flag every day, and that wouldn’t happen if it wasn’t for the military,” he said.

While the impact of the Blue Star Mothers is, in many ways, immeasurable, Flick stressed his sons have been most grateful for the care packages they receive from home.

“We’re all looking for heroes. Tonight, we found nine of them, so thank you so much for stepping up,” Flick concluded.