When a young man or woman chooses the challenges of military service in the U.S. Marine Corps after they graduate from high school, when they graduate from boot camp and return a U.S. Marine they are called “Hometown Heros!” They have chosen and succeeded at doing something hard and are not high school kids any longer but men and women ready to fight and put themselves in harm’s way to protect our freedoms.

Our latest hometown hero is Micah Alexie-Farrell, a native born Alaskan who graduated from Kenai Alternative High School in 2014.

“I wanted a challenge, future financial stability and a chance to have a life that would make a difference,” Alexie told the Dispatch in an interview. “There were no surprises. I was well informed. Staff Sgt. Denton answered all my questions and taught me what to expect. I spent 8 months preparing for boot camp and I was ready, but the ‘Reaper’ was the most difficult. It’s a mile and half hike up a very steep mountain, not a Skyline trail and it was a wet, muddy day, very slippery and we carried a 60-70 pound backpack, the most physically challenging day of my life. The first two weeks I was homesick, Kenai has always been my home but in our platoon there was a lot of camaraderie and honor and by the third session we were brothers and helped each other, developing a bond that really can’t be put into words. I cried when I came home but there is a feeling of accomplishment and pride being home as a U.S Marine,” said Hometown Hero Micah Alexie-Farrell.