Personal Narrative: A Career In The Military

I went pre-med before getting deployed and as an intern I've seen a lot of horrible things. But when it's your friend... Someone you serve with... It stays with you forever.

Growing up as an Army brat. We had to learn a lot of values growing up. Even though my father and I didn't have a strong connection. He was still able to provide for his family. Our family showed a different type of morals. Like never show your true emotions. My brother and I had to learn that. I didn't really know what that meant till I was much older. And? It stuck with me till this day. By showing emotion would show people that you were soft. My mother would show comfort to you if you were struggling but she knew the balance of reasoning. Since growing up and moving out of the house and following the family tradition. By joining the service made my father's and myself relationship stronger. One day my father approached me and asked

Being the youngest person in a work environment can be difficult. To many, age dictates a level experience, both professional and personal, that can only be obtained over the duration of many years. For this reason, young professionals are usually relegated to junior positions. Of the adversities that I have faced in my four years as a musician in the United States Army, age was one of the most difficult to overcome.

The next week was PRT training where we learned about life on the PRT, how to work with the military, how to interact with our Iraqi interlocutors and life in general on a FOB (Forward Operating Base), where I was headed or at the Embassy. There were basic intros into many of the players in Iraq providing assistance, USAID, Department of State efforts, and some of the many projects being undertaken.

The job I want after high school is the Army. My MOS in the army would be Infantry 11x. Infantry is the backbone of the army, and there is always a demand for infantrymen. Infantrymen duties are to defend the country against any threat by land, and capture, destroy and repel enemy ground forces during combat. For this job in the Army it only requires a high school diploma, GED, or another high school equivalency degree.

I joined the Marine Corps looking for a challenge. I wanted to open doors for a new career and longed to have a positive impact on the world around me. Looking back five years later, I realize I found all that I originally sought, but I’ve also found something profoundly satisfying and meaningful that I never knew I was missing.

When I was a boy, I had a dream to go in the military. The Marines corps to be exact. The toughest of the tough. My mom did not approve. Why you ask? Because her husband,my dad, had been taken prisoner of war and went MIA is WWI. My dream came true, but not without a price. I had paid dearly for it. Now here is my story…

“What is this?” shouted Liam as he was running wildly to the Beechcraft C-12 Huron “They call this a military aircraft?”

Jared’s response to my question, “Why did you join the military and why did you pick the branch you’re serving?” was very honest and straightforward. He explained to me he wasn’t going anywhere in life and decided to follow in his family’s footsteps and chose the military. When I asked him what his first days working were like and if it was different than training for it he immediately snapped and said “It was the hardest work I’ve ever done in my life.” He thought it was very different than training for the job because once he meant his boss they would teach him something different. I would say his favorite topic from me was when I asked him to tell me about Boot camp. He explained to me what he learned and it was you have to play as a

Stumbling with the strap of my sandy brown backpack as sweat accumulates on my forehead, my neck, and any open pore on my body. The siege green shirt clinging to my petite form creating a small claustrophobic hell within myself. To whoever is out there and hears me, well you’re screwed. We are going to die. Let me give you a last minute advice: run. Run as fast as your lanky white legs can go. Run not with fear, because it will only paralyze and slow you down. Instead, run with the same passion and excitement you had when you first learned to walk. How you made yourself walk with wobbly steps to reach the happy clapping of your mother’s hands. Run with the same desperation you felt to reach her and be enveloped by her warmth; that every cell

Throughout my career in the military I have received a tremendous amount of feedback on just about everything I did. Every single time I went to work I was judged on how I performed, my correspondence, and my leadership. My superiors would always be the one critiquing me. In my four years of experience in my job I’ve learned a lot about myself. I specifically learned about what kind of leader I am. Every quarter I was given a counseling on my proficiencies and conduct. When I got the counseling’s, there was not a lot of negative feedback. I was very pleased with what and how I was told about my overall work ethic. When I did receive criticism, it was something I knew already knew I had to work on. I never believed any criticism I received was

Since joining, I have looked for opportunities to serve others as well as those that have challenged me, personally and professionally. When I advanced to Chief Petty Officer in 2008, more opportunities were made available and I have served in numerous leadership positions in which I provided guidance, mentorship and oversight. I had my first opportunity to serve as a collateral duty Command Chief in 2008. While I was not the most senior Chief at the unit, the Commanding Officer believed I possessed the necessary skills to perform my primary duties along with effectively handling delicate personnel issues ranging in severity and complexity. At the same time I qualified as a Deployable Team Leader, a qualification typically held by a junior officer.

I recall a few leaders that I have worked for. Unfortunately, not all of them were pleasant to work with. Some abused their powers for their benefits. Or, Some hardly ever showed any affiliation with me and my peers. I want to become a leader who can present a better standard to soldiers. I believe this scholarship and skills that I have been acquiring from my current military career will help me get there.

Upon the conclusion of a 30-year career in the Navy, the feeling of having more to accomplish is still present. The Navy provided numerous challenging and rewarding opportunities that I desperately needed to excel in this world. Before commencing my military career, as a young man in short supply of confidence, I lacked direction and guidance; however, I found my calling in the United States Navy. Immediately following the decision to enlist, I quickly realized the profound nature of entering the armed forces. Though, a new and extremely challenging lifestyle would forever alter the course of my life. In one swift moment, the Navy had furnished me the confidence and ability to achieve tasks I never thought possible. Consequent, following several

My career primarily falls within the emergency services or communications sectors as an operations manager. I have over fifteen years of experience, primarily in the military, and I believe it will help me advance because of how extended it is. Throughout my career, I have been a part of several projects of varying scopes. However, the majority of these projects occurred within the constraints of the military. The purview of military projects vary somewhat from civilian projects, particularly when it pertains to laws, employees and budget. Due to these differences, my experience maybe somewhat deficient when it relates to civilian sector professions. I will have to invest my efforts into gaining more knowledge to offset these variances. I plan