Military Lifestyle Series #2 – Aim High Erin

Here is number two in my lifestyle series. I had started this series because I wanted to focus on different aspects of the military life and talk about them. Each job, branch, status, family situation comes with its own set of challenges. The military life in general can be quite a challenge, but sometimes there are situations that present a unique set of challenges. Here’s the first guest post and some posts from me here. This weeks post comes from a friend of mine that I’ve known for close to six years but have never met. Crazy right? The wonders of technology and the craziness that is the military online forum/blog world. Its on my bucket list, to meet the lovely Erin someday soon. But I have watched her go through and accomplish and experience so much stuff in the past 5ish years that I knew I had to make sure I got her in on this series. She has some valuable advice that experiences that I know that she can share with people out there that are going through the same thing or thinking about it anyway. Shewww….I think I could go on and on here. But make sure you stop by her blog, especially if you are considering going into the Air Force. Her blog is the place to be, and I actually had the amazing honor of accepting her award for Best Air Force Blog at the 2012 MilBloggies this year in VA. Way cool!! Now, onto the post.

Aim High to Have It All! Hello everyone! I’m Erin from AimHighErin.com and I’d like to thank Rheanna for inviting me to blog for her today about my military journey! Rheanna and I have known each other about as long as I’ve been involved with the military, which is approximately five years. It doesn’t seem like a lot in compared to other seasoned milspouses, but I promise it’s been a dynamic half of a decade! After a year and a half of cohabitating with my [now] husband, he made the decision to re-enlist in the military. He had previously been medically discharged from the Marine Corps, and was a Marine through-and-through. I had family in the military, but I had never dated anyone who served. Knowing that being a Marine was something he loved and did well at, I was glad to support him through this process. A waiver allowed him to enlist in the Army, but due to the gap in his service record, back to basic training he went! We went back and forth, but ultimately decided not to prolong the inevitable and decided to get married during his graduation weekend from BCT. I drove out to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri from California, equipped with all of the important documents the folks in the DEERS office would need for a new milspouse. Reuniting after ten weeks, we had the traditional military courthouse marriage, set in a beautiful gazebo in the humid summer sun. With just six people in attendance, we were able to focus solely on our love for each other and the commitment we were making to each other. Due to training commitments, we never had a wedding night, nor did we have a honeymoon. I kissed my new husband goodbye, and drove back to California. After he completed his Advanced Individual Training (AIT), he received orders to an unaccompanied tour in Korea. We made the decision that I would remain behind in California, rather than try to get orders to join him in Korea. I was in the middle of a Master’s Degree program in Special Education and completing three years of teaching that would make future transfers to new states easier. I would’ve loved to have dropped everything and had an adventure abroad, but we both knew that solidifying my status in my career field would pay off in the long run.

After he came back from Korea, he went promptly to his new duty station at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and shortly after he deployed to Afghanistan. After finishing my Master’s, I drove solo across country and set up the home that he had left empty for me when he deployed and began teaching at a new school. While some questioned my reasoning for moving out there without a support system in place, I knew I wanted to settle in and be prepared for his return.

Ultimately, my husband and I were separated for a little over three years, with the occasional weekend visit here and there. Looking back on our time apart, it barely seems like a blip on my timeline. We grumble about our separation while we’re in the moment, but I would make those same decisions again if necessary.

As his deployment came to an end, the end of his contract was also in sight. He had reached a frustration level with active duty Army service, and made the decision to transfer to the Reserves. While he initially discussed going into the Air Force Reserve, he surprised me with a contract for the Army Reserve, convinced by a signing bonus. We had made the decision to relocate to Colorado, since the military would move us one last time, and he found an available slot at Fort Carson. I accepted my first-choice job, a position at a high school in the area I wanted to live, with extended family nearby. I saddled up the vehicle and drove across country once again, moving in with family until he began terminal leave and could join me.

After the comforts of an active duty lifestyle, the transition into civilian life and the Reserves did not come easily for us. He was out of work for a little over a year, and found himself increasingly dissatisfied with the leadership in his Reserve unit. I missed the stability and benefits that active duty provided us, the support of the FRG, as well as the quality of life. Financial stress and general uncertainty put tension and stress on our marriage.

Let’s switch gears for a bit though. I had my own dreams of a military career, and after joking long enough, I set a goal of enlistment by age thirty. I had always thought it was too late for me and that I was too far into my civilian career to make a change. I finally realized I could have a civilian and a military career through the Reserves. I told myself that if we didn’t start a family by the time I hit thirty, I would proceed with my plans. My birthday came around and there were no children on the near horizon, so I trotted into the office of my local Air Force Reserve recruiter. Four months later, I was off to Basic Military Training (BMT) with my husband’s blessing. I didn’t believe them when they initially told us, but BMT was one of the more challenging experiences of my life. Ultimately my leadership skills and commitment to excellence paid off, and I received the Top Honor Graduate award, out of the 817 trainees that graduated that day. I kept my standards high for myself in technical training, where I received the Distinguished Graduate award for having perfect scores on all of my tests.

Reintegration back home with my husband and into my civilian job proved just as difficult as we’d experienced in the past. I felt as though my own changes weren’t mirrored by the changes at home. I was frustrated and I felt trapped. The husband and I were eventually able to weather the changes and stressors that life threw at us, and emerged renewed as we finally caught a few breaks.

This brings us to the present. I’m settled into my unit here at Peterson Air Force Base, where I’m continuing to set ambitious goals for myself. My husband was able to switch over to the Air Force Reserve, where he’s found a greater sense of satisfaction and belonging. Looking forward, I’m planning to complete a AAS degree in Human Resource Management from the Community College of the Air Force this summer, as well as meet the requirements for the next skill level in my career field. In the fall I hope to be accepted into a program that will allow me to commission as an officer. He is looking forward to attending technical training to become a Crew Chief on the C-130H. We’re also in the process of home buying, and we’re hoping to establish permanent roots here in Colorado. My military life hasn’t been an easy one, but whose is? I think we’re all the same in that aspect, despite the unique facets of our journeys. All of the skills that I honed as a milspouse – independence, resourcefulness, motivation, and initiative – helped me succeed when I made the leap into the dual military world. My experience has shown me that if you set the bar high for yourself, you can have it all.

Thank you for reading, and best of luck to you in your own military journey! [Psst! Considering enlistment in the Air Force, or know someone who is? Check out my blog where I help future trainees prepare for their own successful careers!]