My Unexpected Journey: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Allow me to share with you the story of my exhilarating trip to reach my first assigned command in the middle of the Thanksgiving festivities. This isn't just an ordinary narrative - it's a riveting account of how important it is to have a plan, and the adrenaline rush you feel when that plan changes unexpectedly. It's also about how the relationships we form today might unexpectedly come to our rescue in the future.

After graduating from high school, I immediately joined the Navy. This new chapter of my life began with three months of intense boot camp, followed by the Navy's specialized "A School" where I trained as a machinist. Both of these were on separate military bases in Great Lakes, Illinois.