Personal Narrative: What My Advancement To Chief Petty Officer

I have been accepted to AFS-USA's international exchange program to Norway. I will be spending my sophomore year living with a host family and going to school at a local upper secondary school. I am awaiting the information regarding where I will be located in Norway, as well as my paperwork for a Norwegian visa. As long as the final stages of my application go through, I will depart this August and return the following July.

I have known since eighth grade that I aim to serve my country as a Naval Officer. I grew up in military and patriotic surroundings, listening to my Grandfather, a World War II PT boat veteran, tell stories of his Navy days. What inspired me most about him was that he never stopped giving back to our country. He remained a significant part of the Disabled American Veterans fighting for rights of veterans until the day he died. My Grandfather was the one that introduced me to the Naval Academy.

It was the 7th of April 2005. I was a part of 1st Platoon, G Troop 82nd Cavalry, Task Force 1-163 IN, and FOB Gaines Mills is where we called home. I was a Specialist in a Light Cavalry unit assigned to Alpha Section of 1st Platoon. My duty position strongly depended on the mission and how our Platoon Leadership wanted to task organize. Since we had quite a bit of diverse talents from the E-4 and below, and we were all capable of Driving, Gunning, or being a Dismount, I had to always be ready to move into one of those positions at any time.

There were many valuable topics covered during my time at the Chief Petty Officer Academy (CPOA), however three of them have and will continue to help shape me as a leader and be useful to assist those I work with at my upcoming duty assignment. There were many take-backs from my five weeks at CPOA; however the three I found the most valuable are wellness/fitness, facilitating meetings, and team building. These three very simple techniques can be quiet challenging for some and do create greater challenges if not used at all.

John F. Kennedy once said, "I can imagine a no more rewarding career, and any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction:'I served in the United States Navy'." Brandin is proud to serve in the US Navy I know that being a good chief can't be easy. I imagine that it will be time consuming, but my husband is no stranger to working long hours, rolling up his sleeves and working hard. This is critical to be an expert in management. He's responsible and this will help him lead other sailors' to succeed in their careers.

It was an opportunity I could not pass up. The words over the intercom for the availability was a job that I planned to pursue. As I stepped into the activities office, I see flyers on the boards, people huddled around the desk. It was an awkward feeling for me, something that I never planned to do as a freshman in high school. I stepped up to the desk, somehow bringing up the courage to ask about the requirements for the position. I was handed a packet that consisted of three papers; the first page was the requirements, the second being the job positions, and the third being the recommendations. Reading all the requirements, I turned the page back to the second. I then circled the the option of “Freshman Secretary”.

As early as high school, I knew what I wanted to do with my life, but I did not know how I would achieve it. If somebody said, “In 20 years, you’ll be a Master Sergeant in the United States Army.” I would have laughed because initially, I did not think it could be achievable by me. I am firm believer that everything happens for reason. I am a 1st generation college graduate. I have earned a Bachelors & Master’s degree and still managed to serve my country and provide for my family. I have served my family, community, and country and I still have more to give. My entire life has been about serving people.

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.

I was initially drawn to the Naval Academy because I want to be a pilot. I have wanted to be a military pilot for a long time, so when I was researching colleges I was drawn to the service academies. I have chosen to apply to the naval academy because I think that it is a great path towards this goal. I also have the goal of strengthening my faith. I believe that attending a school such as the Naval academy and experiencing its challenges will do that.

I have been actively seeking the Naval Academy since late middle school, all was going well, I was volunteering in my church and other community organizations, my grades were very high, and I was actively preparing myself for the academy. A wrench was thrown into my plans when I moved to Florida after the end of my sophomore year of high school. I went to a new alien environment and I tried to continue on the path to the academy. I continued my plan to get to the academy by trying to forge new connections through sports and clubs. I was successful in my plan on the community involvement front: I had a good rapport with my coaches, volunteered at the American Legion , and co-founded the local chapter of Health Occupational Students of America.

It would be hard to continue this discussion without mentioning my grandfather. I, like yourself, idolize him. He is, to me, the best example of what a man should be like: hard working, responsible, and stoic. I believe that if I became a Marine like him, I would adopt these traits. Currently, I feel like my life doesn’t amount to much as it is. I haven’t done anything notable in my life, and it seems like the same is true for all my peers. I might be overreacting, but something deep down wants me to go through with this. If I were to become a Marine I would be able to travel the world and be given the opportunity to do a job that had importance to the world. Being able to serve my country as a Marine seems like a greater profession than a

“Savannah to the Principal’s office please,” the teacher called. Confusion immediately swept over me. I make my way towards the office with many ideas of what could be happening frantically spinning in my head. I open the door to the office to see my stepmother sitting in the chair her face looking pained as she spoke to me, “Your dad’s leaving today,” and my heart sank deep into my chest.

It was a dark and chilly February evening as we crested the Tennessee Valley Divide in northern Georgia. My classmates and I had been walking up and down mountains under heavy load for several hours en route to our objective. We were tired and hungry as we reached our objective rally point (the last covered and concealed position before our objective), but our night was just getting started. We were students at Ranger School, the Army’s premier small-unit leadership course, and at this particular moment, I was the Patrol Leader.

There are so many different attributes and experiences people bring to the United States Air Force Academy. Although what makes me unique is what I bring which includes: meticulous habits, the ability to see beyond the horizon, problem solving, life experiences in leadership, and energy to the student body. My attention to detail is strong. Whether, finishing up my PowerPoint presentation for class, or conducting a pre-flight in a Cessna 172, I am assiduous in my preparation, trapping and eliminating threats, and reducing the potential for error. In addition, Seeing beyond the horizon, I can prepare now with the luxury of time that might not be available later. My Flight Instructor, Col Glen Whicker (USAF Ret.) pounded into my head, “ Always

After I get my degree I plan to join the Navy as an Officer. I feel like I can have a large impact on the African American community when I get out. The things I have had to overcome in these past couple of years like waking up at 5 in the morning every school morning to make it to the city bus in time to get to school, almost becoming homeless, having my dad walk out on my family freshman year and having so many younger brothers looking up to me daily to do the right thing I think have really prepared me for a more professional and mature life. Also I want the African American community to look at me and say if he can take the cards he was dealt and do that with them I can do. That is honestly my goal in life, to inspire someone else to get