Stephen Duncan probably did not know that his enlistment in the U.S. Navy was going to inspire almost his whole family to join a version of the military.

But it did just that when the Hayden family traveled to Great Lakes, Ill., to see Duncan, now 24, graduate from boot camp.

“We saw kids in their dress whites when we went to Great Lakes,” said Karla Duncan. That was her family’s first exposure to the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps.

The Sea Cadets program is for children ages 14-17 and is one of the closest things to the military that children can join.

Mark and Karla’s three youngest children – Seaman Apprentice Joshua Duncan, 16; Seaman Apprentice Micah Duncan, 14; and Apprentice Cadet AnnaMarie Duncan, 12 – all joined the Valor Division unit of the Sea Cadets in the past year.

The Valor Division, which recently moved from Leeds to Trussville, also includes Navy League Cadets for kids ages 11-13.

In August, the parents got involved by becoming instructors in the Valor Division. Mark is the unit’s public affairs specialist, while Karla handles supply.

Read the full article in Wednesday’s edition of the North Jefferson News.