I enjoy the military. I love the comradeship. Your unit is your assigned family. They look after you, gossip about you, back you up when you're getting screwed over and/or throw you under the bus if you stand in their way. All right, not all units are like that. Some are better than others and some are absolutely fantastic. But just like any family, how you handle your position in your unit will make or break your experience of it.
Like many young women in the military, I learned to grow up fast. I got myself involved in drama as a youngling and learned that lesson the hard way. Throughout my twelve years in the military I’ve made best friends, lost best friends, found mentors, lost all respect for certain mentors, cried, laughed, loved, and despised. I vowed to get out of the military after four years of service. And I cried happy tears the day I reenlisted. I’ve impressed people. I’ve let people down. I’ve been stepped on. And I’ve grown a backbone. I’ve also learned to take my emotions out of the battles I choose to fight. I still keep in touch with people I went to basic training with. I learn everyday what it takes to be a great leader for my troops.
I love the experiences I get to have. In one unit, I actually got to ride in a B-1 Bomber. How cool is that? And I got to take the stick. Just for a moment though. The co-pilot told me I was being a pansy, so he took it and jerked the stick far right. I never felt G-forces like those in my life! It was one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had. During my deployment, I got to ride in helicopters, cool planes, boats, and even a fully armored truck that looked just like a F150 on the outside. Totally friggin awesome!
I married X in 2003. We had our two babies several years later. During my divorce, my boss and coworker became big brothers. They were there for me when I needed someone to listen to my pain. They kicked my butt back into shape when I was too depressed to do my work. And they loved me like big brothers did.
