Photos by James Lee / Special to The Star "I chose this because it was the best option for me to get ready to get into the Defense Language School," said Michele Christopher, who, with fellow Army recruit Steven Howard, listens to Staff Sgt. Clifton Rash's commands while marching at the Oxnard Armed Forces Career Center.

"I can't know how I would react to the violence of war until I've experienced it myself," U.S. Army recruit Michele Christopher said. "I can accept my father doing that (so) I'm pretty sure I can accept me doing it." Her father is Lt. Adam Christopher, left, who is stationed at Naval Base Ventura County.

For a minute and a half, Michele Christopher was totally in command.

Her voice filled up the expanse of the Oxnard Army Recruiting Station as she sang the national anthem a cappella.

For that moment at least, people in the room, including a half-dozen Army recruiters, perhaps forgot her little-girl frame and innocent demeanor. It was good exposure for the 17-year-old, who was heading off to Fort Jackson, S.C., to learn how to shoot an M-4 machine gun, shine combat boots and follow commands.

When she finished, there was a hush as Camarillo Mayor Charlotte Craven read a short proclamation in honor of those who served in the military.

Christopher, a breath over 5 feet tall with red hair and freckles, then went back to being a Camarillo High School student, getting ready to graduate. She has since left for basic training.

"Maybe I can rely on my choir skills, learn some really creative insults and become a drill instructor," she said with a smile later.

Christopher was among dozens of young people from Ventura County who committed to basic training and years in uniform.

'They laugh a little'

A smart, articulate go-getter, Christopher had options other than the military. She could get into college. The former high school newspaper editor likely would qualify for scholarships or aid. While it might not be easy to pay for college, she assumed it was possible.

"But I think that I like knowing what's going to happen to me for the next several years," she said of her decision to enlist. "I know where I'm going and what I'm going to do. It's a new direction and not just a continuation of what I'm doing now."

Her family and friends have been supportive, but others haven't.

"There are some rich and snotty kids at our school and they're like, the Army, ew. I don't want to get my fingernails dirty,'" she said.

And some of her fellow students back her decision but kind of can't believe it.

"They laugh a little," said Christopher. "Then they say, Yeah, I could see you as a drill instructor.'"

Christopher enlisted for six years in the Army. She hopes to get advanced training at the Defense Language School in Monterey to become a much sought-after crypto-linguist.

At a weekly training exercise a few weeks before her graduation, Christopher was called out of formation to explain what she plans to do in the Army.

Standing erect in a black "Army Strong" shirt and shorts, she explained to her fellow future soldiers that her decision had a little to do with tradition — her father is in the Navy — and a lot to do with wanting to take a different path from her fellow high school graduates.

She ended her explanation with a soft "hurrah" that sounded little like a gruff military affirmation.

Her father has been preparing her for basic training, timing her runs and testing her ability to do push-ups and sit-ups.

"My abs are killing me," she said. "I'm a bit worried about the running, though."

'There could be danger'

Christopher is expected to receive an enlistment bonus of more than $35,000. She'll be in the Army until she's at least 23 and will likely get an extensive education.

"Languages are my passion," she said. "I love being able to see languages' interconnections."

As if on cue, she grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down some Sanskrit, pointing to what she sees as similarities to Roman letters.

"I notice this character ma' it looks like an m' to me," she said with enthusiasm.

She speculated that she would end up learning Arabic, Farsi, Russian or Chinese, which she dreamed of mastering to meet the military's need for translators.

"I chose this because it was the best option for me to get ready to get into the Defense Language School," she said.

But she knew it wasn't like she was going off to a university.

"There's a little bit of trepidation," said Christopher. "I'm sure when I get deployed somewhere and have go off to a foreign country, it might be quite scary. There could be danger. There's a chance you'd get killed."

The violence of war is more than just theoretical for her, but she has come to terms with it.

"I can't know how I would react to the violence of war until I've experienced it myself," she said.

"However, I can accept my father doing that (so) I'm pretty sure I can accept me doing it."