Marisol

I am so grateful that Marisol, my wife is willing to go through her pregnancy while I leave for my Army training. She also was very happy that my ex-wife will allow us to still have Isaac every other week. She will have lots on her plate, the household, the kids and her pregnancy all on top of her job. I on the other hand will have it easy in BCT and AIT. Honestly I would not want to be in her place nor do I think I would be willing to take on the responsibility she has. For her willingness and Love, I am grateful.

My Enlistment

I enlisted in the Army on December 7, 2008. I had originally enlisted as a respiratory therapist but after my physical at MEPS, I was disqualified because of my color deficiency. I was then given a new shorter list of MOS to choose from. Many were office jobs, which is what I was trying to get away from. From the entire list, there were only two jobs that I was interested in. If I was single and did not have kids then I would have chosen 38 Bravo. I was told that the Civilian Affairs Specialists more or less sells the American dream to other countries, in war or peace time. It involved lots of traveling and its something that I’ve always wanted to do. My priorities have changed and I decided that my family was more important to me than traveling.

So my second choice was it, 68 Whiskey-Mike 6. I decided to become a Nurse (LPN). I joined the reserves so I wanted a job that I could do anywhere and that it was on high demand. Nurses are always on demand and I speak Spanish. I have done radiology and though I did not treat or really help my patients, it was rewarding to be part of the process. As a nurse I will be there with the patients, by their side. The job is dangerous no doubt and I’m sure the MOS is too. I will be a nurse but I will also be a combat medic, so if a unit needs a medic and I’m available, then I will be with them patrolling the streets of Iraq or wherever we are fighting. It is no wonder the MOS comes with student loan repayment, the GI bill, a GI bill “kicker” and a $20,000.00 bonus.

Ultimately, I would like to be a Physician’s Assistant. If that fails, at the very least I will complete my BA in history (which at this time I have 22 units left) and hopefully get a commission. I will also like to earn my BSN to become an RN and move up from there. I hope I’m not setting my aims too high but I would like to one day be a Colonel. Colonel Hernandez has a nice ring to my ears.

Before I enlisted

Even since High School I wanted to join the military. I’m not sure why I only know that it’s a feeling and a sense of duty, I think. In any case one of my really good friends, Ralph, joined the Air Force and as I read about I realized that the AF has a high standard of living and very good careers. So for a few years I dreamed of joining the USAF. I could not join the military right after HS because I was not yet a resident of the U.S. in 2007 I finally received my green card and just year later I was ready to join the AF.

When it came time to make the big decision, I started to do a bit of research. Apparently the AF and the Navy are regarded as having the best quality of life in the military. I was not interested in spending time out in the open sea and I came to realize that the AF made it a bit more difficult to get promoted than the Army and the Marines. Another thing that turn me off about the AF is that when I was trying to find a recruiter they were busy or never in their office (reserve recruiter). I decided to join the reserves to make sure to get a taste of the military without a full commitment, considering that if I loved it I could always go active duty. In any case the AF turned me off and now I had two clear choices, the Marines or the Army because I was not interested in the Coast Guard or the National Guard.

If I understood correctly, the Marines are always first boots on the ground. I’ve known some Marines and they appeared to be a different breed. It was like comparing a Pitbull to any other dog. Yes I want to join the military but I’m not very crazy about the Marines. By that time I had realized that the Army was far more appealing to me than any other branch of the military. It was not as hardcore as the Marines nor as laid back as the AF…now it came time to finally enlist in the military and lucky for the Army the were going to get me!