"I, Genevieve Chase, do solemnly affirm that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice." 

And with those words, I signed up for another six years of service to my country.  It's hard not to feel an overwhelming sense of pride in this duty and the responsibilities inherent in the commitment.  Despite any hardships I have endured or witnessed, I have never once regretted my decision to serve.  I have been frustrated, stressed, angry, upset, humiliated and yes, I've even suffered... but not for one moment have I wished that I had chosen a different path.  

For all of the hardship I have been through, I have been rewarded countless times with the impact that other people have made in my life, the camaraderie I have been blessed to experience, the humanity I have witnessed, the leadership and mentorship I have had the opportunity to have and most importantly, with revelations and self-discovery I can't begin to explain.

Five years ago, I started a blog I titled "Army Girl."  I had always referred to myself that way.  Born at Fort Campbell to a Korean mother and small-town American father, raised on military bases, enrolled in JROTC and then finally enlisted in the Army Reserve, I had self-identified all my life as a product of the US Army.  When people asked me where my home town was, I told them to "pick any Army base."  If you asked me where I was from, I'd ask you, "Do you mean where was I born?  Where did I grow up as a kid?  Where did I go to high school?  Where did I spend the most years of my life?  or Where did I JUST come from?"  

In that blog, I had written a diary about my experiences for almost five years.  I think maybe a part of me wasn't sure I'd make it home from Afghanistan and I felt I had to leave behind some legacy... some trace of who I was, so that people would know what it was like to be a woman, this woman, in today's Army.  

At times when I was incredibly lonely, as the only female in my class or the only female NCO in my section, my readers were my best friends, my confidants and my reality check.  Some of them questioned my optimism and called me naive but most were genuine.  A few are very good friends of mine, to this day. 

I shut the blog down after I started the non-profit, American Women Veterans, because I was worried that people with other agendas, would use it against me... but I often miss the freedom with which I was able to express my thoughts, what I was going through and what I had learned.  I always say that someday I'll start it back up.  I think in my fervent desire and passion to make AWV the organization it needs to be, I have had to put a great deal of my own needs and hobbies on hold... but the mission comes first.  

There will be a time when American Women Veterans will be THE premier organization for women veterans, our supporters and our families.  It will someday soon, be run by strong, amazing and brilliant leaders.  It will serve as the loyal and devoted guardian of the legacy of women in service to our country and the foremost expert resource and advocate on our behalf.  

There WILL be a time when Afghanistan will be a country, independent and thriving, where women will own their own business and young girls will go to school and live without fear and terror.  Where Afghans will know an ERA of peace within their borders.

Until those two things happen, I will be the devoted and often imperfect participant who believes that even two steps forward and one step back, is progress.  I will continue to assert that our world is a better and safer place because of the Americans who have given their lives and who continue to voluntarily serve in a "war on terror" while bureaucrats, politicians and talking heads debate and ponder over its legitimacy and funding.

I will stand at the ready, with all of my brothers and sisters-in-arms who have sworn the same oath a time or two since 9/11, because I believe that we should not only finish what we started, but do so effectively so that we will never send our children or our grandchildren, to fight the same extremism.  

Many would call me naive... and in fact, before my first enlistment and deployment, many did.  They said I would change my mind after I'd been there.  Well, I've been there, confronted death there and was reborn there... and I'm still an optimist.  

The only difference between the Army Girl that swore her first oath in 2003 and the one that did so in a small ceremony with her closest friends a few days ago, is that THIS one is more convinced than ever, that she was right to not falter in her convictions, that she CAN and HAS made a positive impact through her service and that she knows the warrior and coward in her heart.  Only my comrades can understand what that means... 

It no longer matters what anyone thinks about my call to serve or the capacity in which I do.  With conviction, I know that I have a purpose in this life.  I am here for a reason.  

We all are...  

Before I went to war that was a hollow hope- that our lives all had meaning.  And yes, even a naive one.  

But now, it is a truth.  My truth.

Here's to six more years...

At least. 

; )