Welcome to Fun at Fort Jackson...where you can read about my military experience through Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training at one of the best Army training facilities located in Columbia, South Carolina. If you are thinking about enlisting (any branch)...go for it! It's exciting and challenging.

In September of 1993, I made the decision to enlist in the Texas Army National Guard, with the intention of going full time active-duty Army. Regular Army was not taking GEDs, which was all I had at the time. I drilled with my guard unit for almost a year before I shipped out for BT in August of 1994. BT was pretty cool until I re-injured my knee and had to come home with a medical discharge--one week before I was to graduate. I was so upset I cried for days. A month trickled by and I started working to get back into the military to accomplish the goal I had set out to do. I was bound and determined to finish something that I had started.

In November of 1996, I re-enlisted on a medical waiver and shipped out for Basic Training (for the 2nd time) on the 15th of April, 1997. This time, my dear friend Melanie had enlisted as well (with the same MOS). It was one of the best times of my life and nothing could have prepared me for it.

Being an American means a lot to me and having had the opportunity to serve this great country (even for a short time) was an honor. My own father spent 20 years in the military (four years in the Marines and 16 in the Army Reserves). I remember him shining his boots and getting his uniforms ready for weekend drills or summer camp. So, I guess I kind of followed in his footsteps. Both of my husband's grandfather's served this great country of ours, too. My husband, Buddy, was never eligible to serve in any branch of our Armed Forces because of two back surgeries. He would have made a great soldier and definitely would have been brass!.