Hunter Paglia To Fulfill Lifelong Dream Of Serving In U.S. Military

The military has always piqued Hunter Paglia’s interest. The spark has been present inside of him since the first grade and the desire to serve his country never waned or dimmed over the past 12 years.

“A lot of people call the military a Plan B but I never saw it that way. I always saw it as my Plan A,” Paglia said. “If I did go to college, I would have been a reserve. It is just something I have always wanted to do.”

Paglia will receive his high school diploma on Saturday along with approximately 126 other Nantucket High School students. Many of these young men and women will attend college or enter the trades, but Paglia stands alone and will be the only member of the 2022 senior class to join the military. He will become a United States Marine.

Paglia said his interest in the Marines specifically began his freshman year. He remembers asking one of his teachers to go to the bathroom, but eventually wandered off to a job fair and approached the Marine’s table.

“I got in trouble for going up to the table because I told my teacher I was going to the bathroom and then when I came back to the classroom I was carrying all of the Marine merchandise,” Paglia said. “I got a detention but it was at that point where whenever I really began to wonder what I was going to be doing after high school, becoming a Marine was always what came to mind.”

Sgt. Zachary Wallace, the Marine Corps Recruiter for Cape Cod and the Islands, has been by Paglia's side ever since Paglia enlisted in the the Marine Corps' Delayed Entry Program (DEP) in August of 2021. He has witnessed his growth over the past ten months and been by Paglia's side through the process.

"In the time I have worked with Hunter he has shown a tremendous amount of motivation and dedication to become a Marine," Wallace said. "The passion he has for physical fitness is remarkable and has reflected in his performance on the football team, and also in the physical evaluations of his preparedness for recruit training."

"At the Recruiting Sub-Station we host a monthly training event each month and the only training events he has missed were due to things out of his control such as weather causing the ferry to be cancelled, and when that happened he always had a comment similar to 'well I guess I could swim so I don’t miss it.' Additionally, his mindset is already that of mind over matter and I know without a doubt he will go far in his time in the Corps and afterwards as well.

The work ethic Paglia has shown Wallace in training events can be traced back to his personal growth in the classroom. Paglia admitted he hasn't always been the best student. He said his GPA is something he isn't rushing to share, but he said it has grown significantly over the past two years as he has worked on his maturity and his discipline in and out of the classroom.

"I think I have worked really hard at improving my effort and work in the classroom," Paglia said. "It is something I have really tried doing."

Paglia took and passed his Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test in an impressive manner. This test measures developed abilities and helps predict future academic and occupational success in the military. The minimum score required for Paglia, since he will be receiving his diploma, would have been a 32. He scored a 45.

"I'm not a dumb kid. I know it sounds obvious but I think if you learn to put effort into things, it just makes your life easier and sets you up for success," Paglia said. "It gives you a better chance at doing the things you want to do."

Paglia has family ties to the military. He has an uncle in the Navy and his grandfather served in the Navy. Two family members on his Dad’s side of the family served, including one who was a scout sniper in Vietnam.

Paglia was also a football player throughout high school and said some of his coaches inspired him to serve the country, particularly mentioning assistant coach Vaughan Machado, who served in the United States Air Force.

“I feel like what I am doing, not everyone can do it so someone has to and so why not me,” Paglia said. “I am physically capable. I think I am there mentally. Spiritually I am probably there too. It is a pretty good career I think, especially the Marines who have such high standards.”

Paglia will head off to Parris Island, South Carolina on July 11 for a 13-week Marine Boot Camp of rigorous training, culminating at the 54-hour Crucible, which is the final obstacle of training that tests every skill learned in the previous weeks. He will get a 10-day leave before reporting to The School of Infantry aboard Camp Geiger, NC, where he will attend the 14-week Infantry Marine Course.

Paglia has plenty of challenges ahead and said he is staying open minded about whether he will strive for a short or long-term relationship with the Marines.

“I hear from some people who love it and others who don’t. But I’m sure it will go well and I am very excited for it,” Paglia said. “Since I haven’t experienced it yet, I can’t really say how long I anticipate serving, but what I do know is when I do pass boot camp, which finishes in October, I’ll know I can do almost anything in life if I can pass that. I used to be the fat kid at one point, so I want to prove something to myself. I want to prove to myself I can do this.”

Paglia said he works out five days per week but is looking to begin working out six days per week as boot camp approaches. Weight training has never been a problem for Paglia, but he admits he is nervous when it comes to running.

“I am in good physical health but I can do a lot better,” Paglia said. “Running is a big thing and I haven’t been the best runner in the world over the course of my life. I have worked very hard at improving that and I can definitely do it because I am putting so much preparation into this. I go late at night when no one is in the weight room so I get all the pieces of equipment to myself. I am watching what I eat. I am excited for what is to come and to get started."

All photos courtesy of Hunter Paglia and Sgt. Zachary Wallace