What Nine Years in the Military Taught Me About Resilience
I joined the United States Air Force at the ripe age of nineteen. I was ecstatic to get out of my small town and tackle the world. Well, mostly I just wanted to get out of my parents’ house. But either way, jumping on that shuttle to the airport headed for San Antonio, Texas felt like freedom to me.
It wasn’t, for some reasons that you may find obvious.
In order to join the ranks of those men and women in the service, the first hurdle that one has to overcome is basic military training, or BMT for short. This was and is a place that’s designed to break you down into your most basic pieces and build you back up the way the military wants — needs — you to be. It has gone through some changes over the years; trainers aren’t allowed to curse at you or fling any insults regarding appearance, age, ethnicity, etc. This should have never been acceptable in the first place, but I think that goes for the rest of the world too.
For some, the overall experience can feel less like boot camp and more like strictly regimented summer camp. For me, even though I faced less intensity compared to my predecessors, it was still hell.
After being vetted through the extensive enlistment process, I shipped out to San Antonio, Texas, where, until recently, all Airmen were rigorously pushed…
