To think how far I've come since this photo was taken. I'm grateful for all of the opportunities. Photo: Jennifer McIntyre | MUA: Linda Phan

  It's been one year, three weeks, and four days since I commissioned into the United States Army as an Army Nurse. It took almost 3 years after high school before I decided that I wanted to make the commitment. Prior to attending nursing school, I attended culinary arts school. This was my one attempt of trying to break ties with the military lifestyle that my parents had raised me in. It's not that I found anything wrong with being a member of the military community, but I had always wondered what it would be like to be a "civilian". And I can tell you first hand that I knew the civilian lifestyle was not made for a person like me. I was working three jobs while I was attending culinary school: a barista, a nanny, and a hostess for Norwegian Cruise Lines. Juggling three jobs to make ends meet was not what I had pictured myself doing at age 18.

  It wasn't only the jobs that made being a civilian difficult, it was the people I found myself hanging around. I knew that Seattle was known for being a more eccentric city, and I knew that I would meet unique people along the way, but my initial group of friends went from "lets hang out every day" to "I don't want to take out my trash until I know that everyone is gone" type of friendship. It wasn't that I was scared, but I had been introduced to a lifestyle that I wanted nothing to do with. Growing up, I only knew a handful of kids my age that got into smoking or drinking, and I thought that was going to be the extent of what I would see when it came to drugs. Until I moved to Seattle, where my cool group of friends turned into people who were doing much harder things than cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana. I secluded myself very quickly. There were many nights where I'd be in my room crying because I didn't know what to do. All of the friends that I made shunned me because I didn't want to partake in the "festivities" they had. Luckily, my parents moved to Washington shortly after this all took place, so I decided to move back in with them. I ended my contract early, and though it was expensive, I was much happier and felt much safer at home.

Maybe one day in the future, I'll find a reason to break out my Chef uniform again

  I commuted to Seattle every day I had class. I would wake up at 0430 in the morning, so my dad could drive me to the park and ride at 0530. I'd schedule my classes so I'd get the most out of my time in Seattle. One quarter, I found myself enjoying my biology class a lot more than I did my cooking classes. I missed having to think about scientific things. It wasn't until I dissected a frog that I started thinking differently about my life. (I know, it's silly how I went from culinary to nursing over a frog!) I found myself making my way to Barnes & Noble to buy an anatomy coloring book, and that's when it started. Later that day, I looked up applications to Colleges of Nursing in Washington.

  I didn't know how I was going to pay for college because my mom had already helped me through culinary school (thanks ma.) The best thing I did for myself was walk into Army ROTC at Washington State University. I thought it was a long shot because many of those scholarships are given to high school seniors, and that was something I wasn't. I applied anyway because the worst they could do was say no. But I remember August 2, 2012, Army ROTC called me and told me that I was granted the 3 year scholarship.

  I know you're probably wondering, "how is this post even related to Armed Forces Day, besides the fact that you decided to switch majors?" I know, I know... But all of those factors and challenges that I faced prior to signing my ROTC contract, those are what drove me to join. The military offers a lifestyle that greatly differs from being a civilian. My safety net, my comfort zone, is being a part of a military community. Even if being a Service Member has separated me from my family to fulfill a mission, it's still the best opportunity I've been given so far. The military has taken care of everyone in my family, and they've given me and my siblings an opportunity to see the world - for free! Growing up while moving around can have different effects on people, but it's all about perspective. I chose to see moving from country to country a blessing. I made the most out of my time by exploring what the world has to offer, and I still take advantage of that to this day.

Her biggest moment, the moment she reached the top of her food chain pinning CW5.

  Growing up as a military brat has made it easy for me to make new friends, and even though parting ways is still very difficult, learning to cope has just gotten easier. I know that there will be another time that we'll all run into each other, and I know that friends are only a plane ride away. I know that I don't need to call one place home, because I've made memories all over the world. I know that serving in the hospital I work at now makes a difference for Service Members and their families. We take care of one another. We do our damned best to make sure all of our guys get home safely. I joined the military because I wanted to serve those who serve the United States, and it still is the best decision I've ever made.

For other amazing stories of Military Women, here is a link [click] to Jennifer McIntyre's Military Women Project. She does amazing work by highlighting the hard work of our Sister-in-Arms. My mom and I have been lucky enough to work with her in the past year, and I admire her work greatly. The first photo of me was done by her last summer.

Click [here] for the link to my feature on Jennifer McIntyre's site.
Click [here] for my mom's feature on Jennifer McIntyre's site.
Click [here] for a link to Linda Phan's Facebook - MUA for the first photo.