Poplar Bluff student-soldiers wait until graduation to serve

Daily American Republic

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Recent events that have put National Guard companies across the state on alert status have had special meaning for several Poplar Bluff High School students. They're in the Guard, too.

Two of these are seniors Chris Brown, 17, and Steve Smith, 18.

They won't have to go if their units are activated. While Smith and Brown took basic training at Fort Leonard Wood after their junior year, they are still lacking their military occupation training and cannot be called up until they receive it. Therefore, all the student-soldiers will be allowed to graduate from high school regardless of their unit's status.