In 1988, I embarked on a career change that would alter the course of my background, values and morals, debunk things I thought I knew and accentuate the things that I experienced and hold true to this day. I joined the military and reported to basic training with no idea or concept of what journey my life would take, but, I was excited about my future. My only experience with the military before I joined later had an impact on my worldview about the military and the world in general.
In 1988, I embarked on a career change that would alter the course of my background, values and morals, debunk things I thought I knew and accentuate the things that I experienced and hold true to this day. I joined the military and reported to basic training
This gave me much more insight as to how to be a pilot, what it takes to live the life of an Army Rotary Wing Aviator. I was enthralled and immediately decided I could not suffer a part time contract to fly, I had to have the lifestyle and the opportunity of active duty. This created a timing problem as I was still fresh in a 6 year contract. I did not waste the time I had left; I focused on becoming the best soldier I could. Fueled by the expertise, dedication and experience of the aviators I have come across, I began requesting training above my level and consistently rising to the challenges of my superiors and performing above average. I surprised myself along the way, surpassing my own high expectations, and after appreciating every success I reset the bar higher than before. The struggles that have caused me to push back my timeline are not seen as regrets. Every struggle was beat. Every hurdle showed me how much more I am capable of. My desire and dedication hasn’t changed because of this but my understanding has; I would compare it to a child’s wild, superfluous dream turning into an adult’s strong, focused
Retiring from the military can be a tough process both mentally and emotionally. Soldiers often find themselves overwhelmed when considering the various paths they could pursue. Transitioning service members are usually optimistic about their future, however that sometimes changes once the reality sets in that they have little to no experience with jobs in the civilian sector.
With a stroke of his pen Harry S. Truman changed my life, with the integration of the armed forces my grandfather was able to serve as a military officer in one of the few institutions available to Blacks. Consistently some of the finest military officers started their career at a service academy. To operate at the standards of excellence the academies demand is the path for me. Being in a uniform of some kind has always been familiar to me from scouts to a military boarding school I've always had a yearning to be in the ultimate uniform and that is one of a military officer.
My name is Henry Womack, I was born in Houston Texas into a family of four kids (including myself). I spent most of my childhood focusing on the army, my father was a fighting man, he was a proud patriot and my hero. I joined the army at the age of 18; my father was a Ranger so of course I applied for Ranger school. Nine grueling weeks were spent at Fort Benning slaving away, carving our-self's into capable fighting men. I graduated top of my class in Ranger school and was offered additional qualifications to take, my Sargent suggested I should take the field medic course as I showed the most potential in the basic field first aid course given to all Rangers. A further 6 months were spend at Fort Benning completing the Combat Trauma Management Course. Once qualified I was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Charlie company. I did two tours of Afghanistan and a rotation to Germany for training. I left the Army at the age of 23, I was lost as what to do, I saw a opening for the McGovern Medical School Houston in my home town, I applied and got accepted. I was one of the older students but I just kept my head down and pushed through. The day after my 28th birthday I graduated from the McGovern Medical School Houston with two degrees, one being Degree in Medical treatment and patient care and the other being a Health and Social Care Degree. I moved to Los Santos on my 29th birthday following a death in the family. I saw that the fire department were hiring part-time applicants.
Transition: Now that I told you why I joined let me tell you what I do in the Air Force.
Being a military brat has changed who I am. As I have grown it has driven my desires to change the
Today, I continue to apply lessons learned in the military to life’s challenges. Similar to my experience in
I served three years in the Army from June 1988 to June 1991 as a Combat Engineer (12B). I then spent over four years experiencing civilian life and college. In March 1995 I reentered the Army with plans to make the Army my career leading to retirement. I served my first eight years in the Army as a Combat Engineer. I discovered a desire for a different career path in 1997 when I was required to reenlist for an assignment to Germany. While in Germany I sought out an additional duty as the Company Reenlistment NCO in a desire to assist Soldiers and NCOs
Nearly 50 percent of the veterans with GI Bill benefits have failed to finish school. It's believed to be a direct result of them picking the wrong college major. Veterans should be seeking career counseling before choosing a major as well as getting some feedback and direction early in their academic career. http://gibill.va.gov/
Making life more complicated, but nonetheless educational, an enlistment into the Armed services quickly ensued my eighteenth birthday. Desperately grasping for the deeper need for a family bond and acceptance. While serving in the Army, I was injured overseas. As a result of those injuries, I am a
I joined the Marine Corps at 20 years old, then began attending a state college at 23 (if enough people ask, I blog about what my time in the Marines was like). These last few years have been formative for me, as I have encountered many people, situations, and struggles I had never imagined facing in my youth. I had to reevaluate a lot of things, which caused me to spend a lot of time in a sort of moral limbo, where I wasn’t sure where I stood on a lot of things.
For the first time since I was a teenager, I was choosing what my career would be outside of the military. When I chose to separate from the military after serving for eight years, I started to consider what my next career move would be. I started to look at jobs that I would enjoy doing. Once I started to research what kind of jobs I wanted to do, I started to consider what the job requirements were. Most of the jobs required at least a degree and most of them required a Bachelors degree. I then began to realize that I only had my military experience and military leadership, as I did not take advantage of all my military education. I then began to realize that my only option was to go back to the job that I had prior to joining the military.
Everyone faces obstacles, barriers, and challenges on a daily basis throughout life and have to deal with them. Some of them are more difficult and require more time and forces to overcome than others. Until now, my biggest challenge has been transitioning from the military to the civilian sector.
Though it can be a very dangerous job, the military is a great place where men and women can have a satisfied career. The military gives one a career with the best training, good pay, an opportunity to travel, college education benefits and a retirement. The military has many benefits that will help any young man or woman succeed in their life.
I built my first computer in 1997 installing a brand new 2.4ghz wireless card. At that point in time not knowing how this frequency was going to have such a profound effect on the world. I have seen it change from a simple telephone Tx Rx to a device that allows people to upload their every waking moment. But it has far more practical uses than this, you see this frequency has saved mine and others lives on numerous occasions. Working as a communications specialist in the Armed Forces over the last 15 years has shown me the value of telecommunications and I now know that the world we have built is quite literately at the mercy of the networks that bridge the entire planet.