The blue Air Force uniforms looked sharp. The camouflage fatigues portrayed just the no-nonsense image middle school student Cody Wetherington wanted to project. He admired his junior cadet classmates' commanding look last year while awaiting the school bus.

But for a 14-year-old boy like Cody, his dream might appear far-fetched. Cody has had cerebral palsy since birth. He depends on a walker to get around.

Frank Niemeir/Staff (ENLARGE)

Cody Wetherington, 14, (right) lines in formation with members of the Cadet Corps Club at Teasley Middle School in Canton. Cody has cerebral palsy, yet he participates in physically demanding training with the cadets.\uFEFF

Frank Niemeir/Staff (ENLARGE)

Cody Wetherington uses his walker to get around, as well as participate in physically demanding training drills.

Frank Niemeir/Staff (ENLARGE)

Cody takes part in drills and exercises despite his physical limitations. 'I can do basically everything they can. I had trouble running a mile, but now I don't.'

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Never mind. His physical limitations did not limit his ambitions.

This year, he approached Santiago Santana, Cadet Corps Club commander at Teasley Middle School in Canton, with an idea.

Cody wanted to join the hard-charging student military cadet corps extracurricular club. It's like high school Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps — a JROTC prep program for about 70 middle school kids.

They turn Teasley's soccer field on Tuesday afternoons into a simulated battleground, parade drill field, obstacle course and training ground of physical prowess.

Santana didn't blink, but he wasn't sure — not yet.

"I took Cody out on the field, and he wove his walker in and out of the tire obstacle course at full speed," he said.

Then, he charged down a wooded hill at the edge of the field, walker and all as Santana lent a steadying hand.

"I asked him if he thought he could do it," Santana said. Cody said yes.

"I issued him a uniform," recalls Santana. Then, he learned that Cody has the heart of a lion.

"He's a huge motivational person. When the others see him down doing push-ups, everybody wants to do it," said D.J. Millsaps, a 10th grade Air Force JROTC student at Cherokee High School helping out the younger kids-in-training as operations commander. "He's so enthused."

Assistant squadron commander Shelby Brooks, a Cherokee High student, said Cody doesn't get any special treatment.

"He low-crawled across this field — pulling himself with his arms and beat some of the big kids. I've seen him do it, " she said.

Last week, he was named "Cadet of the Week."

Jacob Randall, a seventh-grader and fellow Bravo flight member, said he was "pretty concerned that he could get out here and do all this."

And now. "We want to help him and make sure he does everything right," he said.

"He is immensely defying the odds, one of the most passionate cadets in the corps," Santana said. "He's all heart and goes full throttle at everything. The other cadets are inspired by him. It's amazing."

Santana challenges the newest recruit to the Teasley Air Raiders to the highest of his abilities. He does make certain modifications in keeping with Cody's physical limitations.

On a recent afternoon, Cody's flight members were ordered to push a Humvee 200 yards across a "battlefield," drop and do five push-ups, pick up wounded and their duffle bags and return within eight minutes.

"You need to get the Humvee across the battlefield and the troops out in eight minutes or less. Go get 'em, get 'em in. Move," bellowed Santana. Cody's Bravo flight did it in 5 minutes 29 seconds.

Laying on the dusty soccer field atop his duffle bag, Cody was one of the wounded to be retrieved as Santana shouted in boot-camp fashion at him.

"Move fast," Santana said. "You've got to get in quick. Move ... Move ! "

Cody scrambled up with the help of his rescuers into the Humvee. His flight members tossed his walker into the vehicle and kept moving.

As the afternoon wound down to the last exercise, Cody, his jaunty blue-beret at an angle, was barking commands from the diaphragm as he'd been taught to his rifle-twirling counterparts to get it right.

"I can do basically everything they can," said Cody. "I had trouble running a mile, but now I don't," he grinned.

Cody said he's always wanted to go into the Navy or Air Force. His uncle and grandfather were military men. If that's not possible, he said, becoming a lawyer or going into landscaping might be cool, too.

Why does he do it? "I found people to motivate me, to learn discipline and leadership skills," he said. "It feels good inside. I keep trying and trying and never give up."