Service
Choosing to serve was a spur of the moment decision that I have never regretted. Here is why I joined the Army.
Some people know from a very young age that they will join the military, maybe because a parent or grand parent was in the service. Others may join out of a sense of patriotism. Some people may see it as a way out of a bad situation at home or some may join for the educational benefits. Many join as way to escape the life they are living at the moment.
I joined the Army in 1992 at the age of 21. For me, making the choice to serve my country was a spur of the moment decision that I have never regretted. It all happened very fast. I was an adult, still living at home with my parents and working at the local Dairy Queen. I was hanging around a few women older who were desperately trying to escape their lives as mothers and wives. This is what was expected of you as a young woman in our small town, you marry and have children. You work as a waitress or in fast food. That was fine for some but not for me. I wanted more.
After a long night of hanging out and drinking, I woke up with a massive hangover and the feeling that I had to make some changes. I drove to the grocery store to get something for my headache and next door was the U.S. Military Recruiting Station. I didn’t even think about what I was doing, I walked in and thirty minutes later I was taking a practice ASVAB. I did really well on the test and the next day, I was at the MEPS in Richmond taking the real test and a mere five hours later, I was standing in front of the U.S. Flag repeating the oath of enlistment and just like that, I was a member of the United States Army.
My parents had mixed emotions about me joining the military but ultimately, they understood the need for me to leave my small town and spread my wings. Leaving everyone and everything I knew was scary, but I was ready for the change.
I attended Basic Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. It was eight weeks of pure insanity. From the second we stepped off the train, the drill sergeants did everything in their power to break us.
We woke up 0430 with metal trash cans flying down the hallways and drill sergeants yelling as loud as they could, we ran until we puked, we spent days in the field in the freezing cold and rain, we went on 15 mile road marches and conquered Victory Tower.
We accomplished things we never thought possible and pushed ourselves past our breaking point. We survived together and formed friendships that are still going strong today, 27 years later.
My dad’s concern for me when he learned I was joining the Army was my attitude towards authority. Growing up, I always bucked authority. At home, at school, pretty much everywhere. My motto was “rules are made to be broken”, and I broke as many as I could. I learned at a young age, there were consequences to my actions and I always took responsibility for my them.
Needless to say, Basic Training with all of its rules and regulations mixed with my inability to conform to rules and regulations made for some extremely interesting times.
I made it through Basic Training and Advance Individual Training and went on to serve ten years on Active Duty and am currently still serving in the Virginia Army National Guard.
Twenty Five years and still going strong. Army Strong!
I wrote a book!
And you can now buy it on Amazon. Its a fast-paced, plot-twisting, romantic thriller about a Norfolk Police detective hunt for an elusive serial killer. Professional disputes while trying to solve this case results deep physical desire as we watch the story of Detectives “Lexie” Fleming and Danielle Watkins unfold. Go! Buy the book!
