Vasut’s Army Enlistment Celebrated at Fayetteville

Fayetteville High School senior Kolton Vasut was the guest of honor Wednesday at a special ceremony at the school to celebrate his enlistment in the U.S. Army.

Seated between his parent Jason and Wendy, Kolton was seated at a table in front of fellow students, teachers and family along with Sgt. Robert Thompson, his Army recruiter.

Thompson presented Kolton with a ceremonial check for $72,000, which represents the package of benefits he’s being offered by the Army.

“We have a lot of celebrations for our students, but this is the greatest thing we can celebrate, choosing to serve your country,” said Fayetteville superintendent, Dr. Jeff Harvey.

On May 31, right after graduation, Vasut is headed to Fort Jackson, South Carolina for basic training. He eventually wants to become a mechanic.

“Fayetteville is a beautiful place. He can come back, but he’s going to see the world,” Thompson said. “Kolton, I know you like running. You’re going to do a lot of that in the Army.”

Kolton is a star distance runner for the Lions, and lost 80 pounds in the process, going from among the last place finishers early in his career to now being able run a 5K in 18 minutes.

“He set a goal to be healthier,” said Fayetteville track coach Mitch Madden. “Now the other guys call him Coach V because of his leadership. The Army’s getting a great guy.”