PROUD TO SERVE
When asked why he joined the Navy Reserve, Donald jokingly says, “midlife crisis.” The real answer: “My life was settled. I had a nice career. So, it was time to give back to my country.”

At one point, Donald’s life was anything but settled, and the United States wasn’t even considered his country. Donald was three years old and a citizen of China at the time. As a teen, Donald immigrated to the United States. Eleven years later, Donald’s proud family saw him graduate from dental school. Today, Donald is chief of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery for a Veterans Administration Hospital.

“I am very grateful to this country for all the opportunities it has afforded me,” says Donald. “That is why I decided to give back to it in a really meaningful way. I chose the military and the Navy Reserve, because, to me, there is no higher honor than to serve.”

Donald entered the Navy Reserve as a Lieutenant Commander and has subsequently been promoted to Commander. “I plan to make Admiral one day,” he says. In his role as Commanding Officer, Donald oversees a Dental Department unit at a military hospital.

As a rule, medical and dental personnel are highly sought after in the military. Here, again, Donald has demonstrated his dedication to his country by actively recruiting personnel. “I have guided several dentists, dental assistants, and a prosthodontist into the military over the last few years,” Donald states. For his efforts, Donald was presented with a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

In his free time, Donald likes to travel with his wife Eleanor and their 11 year-old daughter, Krystal. Donald also enjoys running and just recently completed his first marathon. A few years back, Donald combined his love of travel and running into a somewhat ironic twist of events. “Almost forty years after I left, I returned to China on vacation,” he says. “I put on my Navy shorts and went jogging up the Great Wall.”

Donald lives on the West Coast.

TAKING A LEADING ROLE
Why did Eleasha join the Navy Reserve? “I was looking for a change, I wanted to give back to my country, and I really, really love to travel.”

A neonatal nurse in civilian life, Eleasha says that she generally performs the same duties in the Navy Reserve. “The kind of work that I do isn’t that much of a change,” she says. “The big change was joining the military. Even though I have a lot of friends and family in the military, I myself had no prior military background.”

When asked to compare and contrast her civilian and military work experiences, Eleasha didn’t search long for an answer. “It’s the leadership and teamwork. In the Navy Reserve, there’s a conscious effort put forth for teaching and learning leadership skills. I don’t really get this in my civilian job. Whether it’s a class aimed specifically at developing these skills or just a superior Officer taking extra time to work with you and counsel you, this is one aspect I really like about being in the military.”

The other aspect is the teamwork. “In the Navy Reserve, everybody seems to work together more as a group and as a team,” Eleasha says. “It’s hard to describe, but in the military, things are just structured so that everybody is working together to get the job done, no matter what that job might be. Whereas in the civilian sector, it often seems like this person is independently doing this thing and this person is doing that thing – it’s just not as cohesive as it is in the military.”

Exploring the topic further, a third aspect arises – one of respect. “I’m a Lieutenant in the Navy Reserve, so there’s a certain amount of respect that goes with being an Officer. But it goes beyond that. In the military, I have more autonomy and control over my work, and people, regardless of their rank or standing in the hospital, seem to listen to each other and exchange ideas more often.”

As to her specific role as a neonatal nurse, whether it’s in the civilian world or in the military, Eleasha says she loves her job. “There’s nothing more gratifying than seeing these little babies born that might not survive, and then because of what you know and what you do, you see that they not only survive, they thrive – well, that’s a great feeling.”

Eleasha continued to explain how her association with the Navy Reserve makes her a better nurse overall. “In addition to all the leadership skills that I have gained, there’s also the extra training and a lot of exposure to new technologies and procedures. These are all things that I wouldn’t have normally experienced if I wasn’t in the Reserve.”

In the future, Eleasha plans to receive more training by exercising her educational benefits provided by the Navy Reserve. She also looks forward to traveling to many new and exciting places. “So far I’ve been to Hawaii, California, and Florida,” she says.

Away from work, Eleasha likes to spend time with her two children, Brianna, 8, and Tyrique, 6. “There’s another added benefit that I enjoy as a nurse in the Reserve,” Eleasha points out. “I get to do what is called ‘flextime,’ meaning that I can often serve during the week and not on weekends. This allows me to spend a lot more time with my kids.”

Eleasha lives in the Southern United States.

DIFFERENTLY DRIVEN
After college, many people find themselves at a crossroads where they must decide a future course. Jim wasn’t any different. The choices that lay in front of him, however, were a little different: should he go to medical school or should he join his high school buddies and enter the world of professional auto racing?

although a former regional Go-Kart champion, Jim chose medical school. “By doing so, I missed out on possible fame and fortune,” Jim explains. “One of my buddies went on to finish third in the Indy 500, and he’s now enjoying millions.”

Money, though, has never been a big motivating factor for Jim. When he finished his residency, he and a friend decided they weren’t going to be like everyone else. They packed their gear and went backpacking through Asia, Australia, and New Zealand for eight months.

“People in the medical community said that we were crazy – that we’d end up poor and derail our careers,” recalls Jim. “But that didn’t worry me. I knew that I could always make my own way, and that with every new experience, new doors open.”

Jim returned from his trip and returned to medicine. He is currently employed as an emergency medicine physician affiliated with two different civilian hospitals. Jim also serves in the same capacity in the Navy Reserve. Like his decision to go backpacking, joining the Navy Reserve was also met with cynicism and skepticism by some people.

“Certain people would ask me why I was in the Reserve,” Jim recalls. “They would look at it from a monetary standpoint and say there’s really no reason for doing it. What they don’t get is that the rewards aren’t necessarily monetary. The rewarding part is giving back to your community, your country, and most importantly as a doctor, to the people who are willing to fight and go to war for it.”

Public service has become very important to Jim. He plans to continue his service with the Navy Reserve. He also plans to serve his country in a far different capacity some day – as a congressman or senator. “I think that anyone who runs for office, even if it’s the local school board, should have served in the military.”

Jim’s current service takes him to military hospitals around the country and around the world. “A great aspect about being an emergency medicine physician in the Reserve is that I’m on flex-drill, which means that I group all my drill time together. That way, there really is no huge burden or interruption to my life or career.” Jim’s duties routinely take him to New York City, and he’s traveled as far as Japan, Italy, and Beijing.

In his free time, Jim likes to run, swim, and bike. Soon, he plans to combine all three and enter into a local triathlon. Jim is also planning to get his SCCA Racing Driver’s License so that he can make the “big jump” from racing 125cc shifter Go-Karts to racing Mazda RX-7s.

Jim lives on the West Coast.

PATRIOTISM MEETS PROFESSIONALISM
“There’s a lot of prestige that goes with being a Navy nurse,” says Karen. “To be honest, though, I really wasn’t aware of this before joining. But I have since found it to be so true.”

Karen explains that her main reason for joining the Navy Reserve was to serve her country. “When I’m older and retired and looking back on my life, I want to say I did something meaningful. I want to say I did my part for my country.”

Karen’s “part” for her country currently entails ensuring that Reservists are medically cleared to serve. As a nurse and a Lieutenant, Karen organizes and oversees medical physicals for Naval Reservists at a Naval Air Station near her home. Karen performs these duties as part of her drill weekend.

“I always look forward to my weekend,” Karen says. “I find there’s a level of professionalism in the military that often isn’t there on the civilian side of nursing. People in the Reserve just seem to hold themselves to a higher standard. As a rule, and this doesn’t just apply to the health-care profession, I’ve found that people in the Reserve are very focused and very committed to getting things done right. It’s very nice, one weekend a month, to experience that camaraderie – to get together with like-minded people and share thoughts and ideas.”

On her two weeks of active duty a year, Karen travels to a military hospital and practices nursing on a same-day-surgery floor. According to Karen, this added dimension significantly adds to the enjoyment of serving.

“It’s the opportunity to do something I don’t normally do,” she says. “In my civilian world, I mainly do geriatric nursing, and on my drill weekends, I perform in more of a managerial role. By working on a same-day-surgery floor, I’m exposed to different and interesting procedures, and I get to work in pediatrics – that, I really enjoy.”

Karen explains that the “enjoyment of being a Navy nurse” is not the only benefit. She says that the Navy Reserve also makes her a better nurse. “On my two weeks, I get to take advantage of different courses to improve my skills, and on my drill weekends, I’m gaining a lot of managerial and leadership skills.”

In her spare time, Karen likes to spend time with her husband Christian and their two year-old son, Griffin. When she’s not chasing after Griffin, Karen says she enjoys going to the gym.

Karen lives in the Northeast United States.

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
Whether it’s reading a thought-provoking book or working out daily at the gym, Mark believes in continual self-improvement and advancement. Needless to say, he brings the same attitude with him to work as well. In civilian life, Mark works as a paramedic for a major metropolitan fire department. In the military, Mark serves as a Hospital Corpsman (HM) in the Navy Reserve.

“As a paramedic, most every day I try to learn something new,” Mark says. “And, in a way, every day as a paramedic is also like added training for my job as a Corpsman.” When Mark graduated from EMT school to become a paramedic, he says he wanted to integrate both his civilian and military careers. “The Navy Reserve made it very easy for me to do this,” Mark explains. At the time, he served in the National Guard as an infantryman. “Due to my civilian education and occupation, I was able to cross-train and immediately enter the Navy Reserve as a Corpsman. What’s more, I was assigned to an infantry unit, which was my old job in the Army National Guard – so it was a very comfortable transition.”

As Mark tells it, there are many similarities between his job as a paramedic and his job as a Corpsman. This is why he was able to seamlessly cross-train into the Navy Reserve. Mark does, however, also notice some distinct differences. “As a paramedic, I’m one of a team, mainly responding to a series of independent emergencies,” he says. “In the Navy Reserve, I do that too, but I’m also the main person responsible for the wellness of the entire unit. I’m the one who responds when they say, ‘Hey doc, I have a headache.’ I’m the one making sure they stay hydrated and are taking care of their feet. And, if they ever get seriously wounded, I’m the one they’re counting on.”

Just as Mark tells how his job as a paramedic makes him a better Corpsman, he also explains how his military experience greatly benefits him in the civilian world as well. “The military prepares you in every way,” he says. “It teaches you how to prioritize, how to be organized, and how to handle yourself in stressful situations. So, then when you get into the civilian world competing with people who aren’t used to that kind of environment and who haven’t gained that knowledge and confidence, it’s that much easier to stand out.”

Mark’s own life recently echoed these sentiments. Due to his considerable knowledge, his proficiency at his job, and his military background, he was singled out by the upper ranks of his fire department to participate in a high priority initiative. His department is in the process of evaluating, readjusting, and rewriting its mass casualty procedures, and they asked Mark to play a key role in the process.

Mark lives with his wife Angela in the Central United States, where he also attends college.

PROMOTING EXCELLENCE
“I need somebody with a real positive, go-for-it attitude. Why don’t you come to my unit?” This is what a Marine Corps Battalion Surgeon recently said to Ron at a Naval Commanding Officer’s conference they both attended.

Ron took the surgeon up on his offer, and he now serves directly under him as the Hospital Corpsman Chief for a Marine Corps infantry unit. In his civilian life, Ron works as a firefighter-paramedic for a suburban fire department.

According to Ron, his duties for the fire department are very similar to his duties in the Navy Reserve. “The main difference,” Ron explains, “is that in the Reserve, I’m a Chief Petty Officer (CPO), which means I have anywhere from 50 to 60 medical personnel under me at all times.” Ron says that he really enjoys the “managing people” aspect of his military career and points out that it is something he doesn’t necessarily have the opportunity to do in the civilian world.

“Once you’re a firefighter-paramedic, that’s kind of it,” says Ron. “The opportunity for advancement isn’t as prevalent as it is on the military side of things.” As Ron tells it, advancing in rank is something he’s very interested in pursuing.

“I plan to make Senior Chief next,” he says. “And after that, Master Chief. Then who knows, if I decide to utilize my educational benefits and get an advanced degree, I could be in the running for Command Master Chief or maybe even the Force Master Chief of the Reserve – the top Enlisted rank in Navy Reserve.”

In order to facilitate his next promotion, Ron recently attended a Navy management school in San Diego. “At this school, we learned all about how to work with people, how to lead and motivate them, and how to manage and make the best use of your time,” he explains. “And it’s not just as it applies to the military – I’m learning things that will help me in my civilian job and, for that matter, my whole life as well.”

Aside from all the conferences, classes, and training, Ron strongly believes that the entire “military experience” prepares you to succeed in life no matter what career or course you pursue. “When I joined the Navy, 19 years ago, you could say I was a little unfocused and undisciplined. Now, I count organization, problem solving, and time management as some of my greatest assets. And these are things I really need, because in addition to serving in the Navy Reserve and working full-time for the fire department, I also run my own small business.”

When he has free time, Ron enjoys the outdoors. He lists camping, hiking, mountain biking, and scuba diving among his many hobbies.

Ron lives in the Central United States.

KICKING INTO HIGH GEAR
When it comes to Boot Camp, Teresa has a somewhat unique perspective. “I can’t wait to go,” she says. “I’m really into physical fitness or anything athletic. Hey, if someone invited me to go climb a mountain tomorrow, I’d be there.”

Having just recently joined the Navy Reserve, Teresa is in training with her unit to get ready for Boot Camp. “I don’t mean to brag or anything, but whenever we do any running as part of PT, I usually beat half the men and I’m always the first woman to finish.”

As far back as she can remember, Teresa has always been active and physically fit. Teresa has 14 years of formal and competitive dance experience, and she recently became interested in karate as well as ultimate fighting championships. “The karate, I actively participate in,” Teresa says. “As far as ultimate fighting goes, I’m just a fan. That kind of action is a little too wild and exciting, even for me.”

Teresa and her husband Rowell work out four to five days a week at the gym, and they began taking karate together. Teresa has since achieved her orange belt in okinawan go-ju-ryu. She and Rowell also own their own motorcycles and go riding together whenever they get the chance.

According to Teresa, her husband is also interested in joining the Navy Reserve. “We were both considering joining at the same time. It’s just that I kind of beat him to it.”

Teresa currently serves in the Navy Reserve’s NPSAC unit as a Dental Tech and works full time as a dental assistant in her civilian job. although she really enjoys the “operationally fit” culture and aspect of being in the Navy Reserve, it is not the main reason she gives for joining. “I joined for the benefits,” Teresa explains. “Especially the educational benefits. I’m going to be applying to a hygiene program soon, and it’s wonderful that the Navy Reserve will cover 75 percent of the cost.”

The benefits, however, weren’t the only reason for joining. “Whenever I would see a Navy person on TV or in the community, I would think they looked really good,” Teresa recalls. “There’s a lot of pride and power behind that uniform.”

Now that she has her own uniform, Teresa can’t help but feel proud of what she’s done and what she will do. After Recruit Training, she plans on going through Fleet Marine Corps school. Upon successful completion, she will then be assigned to a Marine Corps unit. “Every Dental Tech is afforded this opportunity, but not many people accept it,” Teresa says. “I think this has to do with difficulty of the school. It’s basically more basic training, but for Marine Corps and, I hear, at some points, it’s taught by Navy SEALs. Hey, that’s right up my alley.”

Teresa lives and works on the West Coast.