Hello everyone, I want to tell you about my experience with the Army for the last 15 years. Believe me I will condense it since that is a lot of years to talk about. Well it all started in 1993, I was married with two children and I was working a regular job barely making it check to check. I enlisted into the Army so I would have benefits like insurance to pay for hospital visits and so on. I enlisted into the Army was sent to Ft. Sill, Oklahoma for basic training, I then went to Ft. Benjamin Harrison, Indiana for Advanced Individual Training (AIT). Upon graduation from there I was assigned to Ft. Bliss, Texas with the 3ACR. After two years there the whole regiment moved to Ft. Carson, Co. My wife and I divorced in 1998 and I was then assigned to Bamberg, Germany after 3 years there I was assigned to Ft. Hood, Texas in the 1st Cavalry Division. I met my current wife while she was on recruiting duty and we married in Oct 2002. While at Ft. Hood, I first deployed to Iraq in 2004 for 12 months and then again in 2006 for 15 months. We had our youngest son in April 2007. In May 2008 I was assigned to the Adjutant General School to work in the Proponent/Leader Development Division and that is where I am now. 

After spending my entire career in the Operating Force (MTOE), it was hard to get adjusted to working on the Generating Force (TDA) side. Learning to work with Civilians has been a challenge, but it has been rewarding. I love what I am doing, as I help develop Human Resource Professionals and show them how to get promoted. I also work with the AG structure as in the slots and duty positions that we have. In addition living in Columbia, South Carolina has been a challenge not only for me but my family as well. Columbia is a big city and it does not revolve around Ft. Jackson. People of post do not know how the military works and you do not see many cars with military stickers. I mentioned in my introduction that I am promotable. I was selected for promotion to E8 (MSG) last October and am now waiting for my sequence number to come up so I can get promoted. To this point the Army has been challenging, but rewarding. When I first thought about enlisting into the Army I did not think that I would enjoy it, but as time went on I found it to be quite enjoyable and I love working with Soldiers. I plan on retiring in about eight more years. Until the next blog, take care!