Ask not what your country can do for you, Ask what you can do for your country

Yesterday, I witnessed the retirement ceremony of a Hospital Corpsman Master Chief Petty Officer. He read a Woodrow Wilson quote during the ceremony that I felt represented my feelings of Naval Service:

"You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand."

~ Woodrow Wilson

My enlistment began toward the tail end of Desert Storm 1. Like my peers it was a call to serve our country. During my junior year we all took a career indicator. Imagine my shock when it indicated I was suited for military service, healthcare industries, and environmental conservation (park ranger). I graduated from high school, took a few classes & had 3 jobs. Yes, I had 3 jobs all part time with no benefits. One of my managers was involved in a car accident (her fault) and required physical therapy and corrective surgery. Her benefits barely covered it. This shocked me into realizing I wasn't immortal and needed to protect myself. Were my enlistment intentions completely altruistic? No and I admit this freely. There was some talk of money for college but the military draw for me was strictly patriotism and healthcare benefits. I know the recruiter at that time saw me as a minority female. Lucky for him I suppose. Luckier for me, to get a Navy job that truly fit my skill set.

Recently I've become aware of a subsection of military enlistment, I was never sensitive to these sailors who enlisted strictly for college money. It seems more and more of the junior sailors have been sold on the promise of college money and tuition assistance. Some of them think that the military pays really well!?! I made equal the amount of money my senior year with 2 part time jobs as I did my first year of enlistment. The year prior to enlistment I made MORE! I wonder if these new joins in DEP realize during the first year of enlistment they spend it in training (if they are lucky enough to get a technical job), normally not allowed to have a car on base and are not eligible for certain pays because of their student status.

I am aware of Officers who have commissioned to help pay off their student loans. As far as I'm concerned, that is like indentured service. I am most impressed and proud to serve with those officers elevated from the enlisted ranks of E-5 thru Chief. They know sacrifice, they know what a watch is about, they know how to follow and they know how to lead.

To those who are only enlisting for the "money," I suggest you look deeper into yourself and find another more spiritual reason to sustain you while standing a 12 hour watch, in the rain with no umbrella.

"I would rather belong to a poor nation that was free than to a rich nation that had ceased to be in love with liberty."

~ Woodrow Wilson

First Week Back

Hello again dear friend, sister, brother, doc, kid, mom, dad, unko, tita, tweep,

It has been a tumultuous week to include but not limited to 0530 muster times, skipped lunches, moldy chairs, mega-full inboxes, an extremely helpful NMCI tech (<3>

"Make sure you take this with food and plenty of water,

three times a day for at least three days

to reach it's peak effectiveness.

Remember if it sits in the bottle it won't do you any good."

~or~

"Apply this twice a day to clean and patted dry skin.

Remember if you put it on dirt it's not going to work."

I bet those patients of mine just walked off shaking their heads wondering what was I thinking. I know better that they probably have a two year supply of ibuprofen and mupirocin in their medicine drawers, cabinets, storage sheds...

As a junior Corpsman on any given work day morning, I would wonder if my turn to languish in the refill department had come or if I was to man the front-lines and placate diabetics or other regular customers of the pharmacy. The normal day time front-line experience is beyond any bad day at a grocery check-out. You're pressured to lick, stick, and pour at high speed to keep wait times down, all the while silently freaking out and getting OCD because you don't want anyone to die on your watch. Oh did I forget while standing on linoleum in dress shoes at 4 hours at time, doing the pee-pee dance while smiling.

During the work week we had Red Cross volunteers. The Red Cross volunteers usually were retired Chiefs or spouses of officers. They taught me as much about the Navy and how the "system" worked as much as my first Chief did. These folk gave selflessly of their time and patience to help us hold back the onslaught of sick and tired patients. Our volunteers were paid in hugs, conversation and thus avoided being put out to pasture. As staff we would know when one of them started to take a turn for the worse. It would start out they came by every Tuesday and Thursday, then just Tuesday's, then every other Tuesday. Each visit would get shorter too, from a half a day, to a few hours, to "Just wanted to stop in and drop off these Blueberry muffins." Then you'd make rank or go TAD and when you get back you'd find out they had passed away.

My favorite times were when I stood weekend independent pharmacy duty on the first payday weekend. This is when the lonely WWII veterans or their widows would make the trek to our clinic or hospital to get their refills for the month. This also when they would do their monthly commissary shopping for groceries.

I was amazed at the stories of sacrifice and heroism both groups would share. The grace the widow displayed when sharing her wedding anniversary, his birthday, 0r how they celebrated VJ day, she seemed at the brink of tears, never to overflow but just misty. The men would tell stories of storming Normandy and the brothers they left there, and ones who came home not quite right. Somedays it was like the live version of the Notebook and on others Saving Private Ryan.

I guess I have waxed nostalgic long enough. This is Friday and I was going to accomplish this past week has either been done (if really important) or is no consequence to the the bean counters (my delicate laundry items). Priorities... Eh! I try not to dwell on the past and keep moving forward. Walt Disney said it best:

"We keep moving forward,

opening new doors, and doing new things,

because we're curious and

curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."

This may have seemed choppy and disjointed but I had to fit it. I wear so many hats but,

I am thankful to be an American, US Navy Corpsman, wife of a US Navy Corpsman, Sister of a US Marine, the daughter of US Navy Corpsman (RET), daughter of a legal immigrant, and my kids' mom.

Being a Corpsman

Navy Corpsman come in all shapes, shades, weights, sizes and states of sobriety, misery, and confusion. He is sly as a fox, has the nerve of a dope addict, the stories of an old sailor, the sincerity of a politician and the subtly of Mt. Saint Helens. He is extremely irresistible, totally irrational and completely indestructible.

A Corpsman is a Corpsman all his life. He is a magical creature.

You can kick him out of your house, but not out of your heart. You can take him off your mailing list, but not off your mind. They are found everywhere. In love, in battle, in lust, in trouble, in debt, in bars... and behind them. No one can write so seldom and yet think so much of you. No one else can get so much enjoyment out of a letter or clean clothes or a six pack.

A Corpsman is a genius with a deck of cards. A millionaire without a cent and brave without a grain of sense. He is the PROTECTOR OF AMERICA, with the latest copy of Penthouse (it's naughtier than Playboy, just as he is naughtier than most others!) in his back pocket. When he wants something it's usually 30 days leave, music that hurts the ears, a five dollar bill or a woman he can count on.

Girls love them, mothers tolerate them, fathers brag about them, the government pays them, the police watch out for them and somehow they all work together. You can beat their bodies but not their minds.

You can tame their hearts but not their souls.

He likes girls, females, women, ladies and the opposite sex.

He dislikes small checks, working weekends, answering letters, missing chow, waking up, maintaining a uniform and the day before payday.

You may as well give in. He is your long distance lover.

He is your steel eyed, warm smiling, blank minded, hyperactive, over reacting, curious, passive, talented, spontaneous, physically fit, good for nothing bundle of worry...

and will always be there for you regardless of how long it's been since you've last talked.

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