Joining the military: How it all started

Twenty-one years ago, my best friend and I walked aimlessly through the mall hoping to “be seen” by cute boys, or at least find a nice out-fit. An Army recruiter approached the both of us and asked if we would be willing to hear more about the Army. At that time, we had recently graduated from high school and were in our first semester of college. We had both been through the first part of the Dental Assisting program in high school (earning us 6 college credits) and were working on the pre-requisites at the local community college to apply to Dental hygiene school. My friend kindly declined and to this day, I am not 100% sure why I said yes. It could have been his promise of education money or the possibility of having a guaranteed dental assistant job where I would be PAID to do something I was struggling to pay for already. So, I guess my thinking was “it won’t hurt to hear what he has to say” because to me, knowledge was always power or at least the potential for power if used correctly.

Over the course of a couple of weeks, I took the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), went to Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS), got help getting an eye prescription to pass the vision test, all with the Army recruiter. So, when I tell you that I have been serving in the AIR FORCE for over 21 years now, you may wonder “how did that happen”. Well, like I said I always felt like being as knowledgeable as possible was the smart thing to do.

I did my due diligence

Before I committed to the Army I reached out to several people. My Uncle Eric who happened to be an Army recruiter at the time asked a great question. “What do you want to get out of joining the service”? My extremely basic and sincere reason was to get money for my education and funds to afford the wedding my boyfriend (now husband) and I wanted. Pretty simple. Instead of being paid minimum wage at K.B. Toys, which was $5.25 at the time, I wanted a “real” job. He told me, “You might want to check out the Air Force because the Army will have you training in the field whether you were a dental assistant or in infantry”.

Next, I asked my cousin, who happened to be a recruiter in the Marines, what I should do. He of course tried to recruit me but soon found out that since the Marines did not offer dental assistant jobs (that’s what they use the Navy for), I wouldn’t be interested. Looking back, I can’t believe he tried recruiting me to the Marines! I’m not delicate, but the Marines was not for me!

My last place to go before making my ultimate decision was the Navy to see what they had to offer and make sure the Air Force was indeed my best choice. When I got to their office, the recruiter must have gone out for lunch or something because I waited and waited but he never showed up. That’s when I waltzed into the Air Force’s office. They had an easy recruit because all I needed to hear from them was that I had a guaranteed Dental Assistant job, and that’s exactly what they told me.

Integrity is so important

I had a lot of respect for the Army recruiter though. He was not like many of the other recruiters that I have come in contact within my years in the military. The Sergeant was extremely honest and ‘shot me straight’, and I respected him so much for that. He came to my house, talked to my mom, got me set up for the ASVAB, and even fronted the money to get me glasses so I could pass the physical to get into the military. He wasn’t even upset when I told him I had chosen the Air Force. What a stand-up guy! Whether I joined the Army or not, he set the tone for what I expected from the military and how I wanted to encourage people whenever I got the opportunity later.

Today I am so grateful

One could say that my steps were being guided because I started out not knowing very much about the military and having no desire to join until that fateful day in the mall. My original plan was to utilize the education benefits, stack money for our wedding, and get out after 4 years. That was literally my plan.

My “Why”

My mission and desires are to give you the “Cheat Code” so to speak, in order to help you avoid some of the pain and confusion I faced early and late in my career.

Being a girl from the small town of Benton Harbor, MI, who eventually became an Officer in the world’s greatest Air Force, I want to pass on what I know to Refine what you know, Educate you on what you don’t, and Encourage you all along the way!

You may be wondering how I am still in the military over 20 years later. I am here for many reasons, but my focus is to help others who are going through their military journey feeling lost, confused and unsupported. I want to give support to those who feel like they are on the cusp of success but can’t quite figure out what they are missing or should be doing.

Cultivated Excellence

My success, in lieu of the adversities I faced, has prepared me to guide you through your journey and I can’t wait to tell you more of my story. I am your sister-in-arms and want nothing more than to help you reach your goals and realize the potential inside of you. If that sounds like something you need in this season of your career, stick around because it only gets better from here!