BOY SOLDIER

Marshall Allen

GLENDALE -- Pvt. Brian Sparks wasn’t allowed to join his National

Guard company when it deployed for Fort Carson, Colo., on Monday.

He has to finish high school first.

The La Canada High School senior joined the National Guard on April

20, soon after he turned 17. His battalion, based in Glendale, left

Monday for Colorado for its advanced infantry training. The infantry

battalion will be deployed for four to six months for homeland defense

duties.

Sparks said it was “sort of a disappointment” to be held back from his

company. “It doesn’t seem fair, almost. My entire unit has been shipped

off,” he griped.

“It’s like, what’s the point of signing up at 17 if they won’t use

you?”

His parents have explained the value of finishing high school to him,

Sparks said.

Joining the armed forces was something he’s always wanted to do,

Sparks said. “It’s a great way to serve,” he said. “This is the greatest

country ever and we have to defend it. And someone’s got to do it.”

Michelle Sparks, Brian’s mom, said he’s always been politically

minded. “He helps me decide how to vote on things,” she said.

When he turned 17 and insisted on joining the National Guard, Michelle

and her ex-husband, Terry, Brian’s father, decided to support him in the

decision.

“He’s really bright, he’s got a good mind, and he knows what he

wants,” she said. “As a parent, you think these things are passing

fancies, but it seemed this was real, and that’s why we decided to

support him.”

Sparks said “getting to do stuff other people don’t get to do,” like

shooting anti-tank weapons, machine guns and grenade launchers, was one

of his favorite things about boot camp. He completed the training at Fort

Benning, Ga., during the summer.

It’s unlikely Sparks will be deployed, he said, as his company should

be home by the time he graduates. Also, his National Guard duty may be

over when he graduates. He hopes to join ROTC in college, and continue

serving in another branch of the military.