I was never planning to go into the military. I wore tie-dyed T-shirts, Birkenstocks, and had long hair. Then I saw a video of service members jumping out of airplanes, scuba diving, and serving as paramedics. In 1998, I bought the ticket — enlisting in the Air Force — and what a ride it was.
The first time I had ever been on a plane, I flew from Nashville to Texas for Basic Training. After that, I learned how to dive, parachute, survive in the wilderness, and provide medical care, ultimately leading me to serve in combat search and rescue.
My team served in Turkey, Kuwait, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and beyond, rescuing people in their time of need, always executing the Pararescue motto, “These things we do, that others may live.” And though my mission was focused on helping others, it was others who impacted me the most over the course of my military career.
We were overseas a lot — nearly 90% of the year. It was hard to be so far from home, but my family and friends worked hard to make sure I knew they were thinking about me. My sister sent me care packages every month; my mom sent me letters every week. My dad pinned on my jump wings. My little cousin’s class sent me letters that I have to this day. They all sacrificed and suffered so much more than I did while I was away.
Throughout my time in the service, I was constantly impressed by the mental fortitude, emotional maturity, and go-getting nature of my fellow service members. Their strength gave me an example of how to tackle life’s challenges and chart my own path.
After my time in the Air Force, in 2005, I went to school for architecture, following a long-term love for drawing and design. The parallels with medicine helped me find my footing. You start with a concept, and then you adapt, overcome, and improvise as needed. Knowing how to triage and prioritize served me well in my architecture career.
A desire to learn how everything goes together from design through completion — and a superintendent’s charisma — led me to JE Dunn’s Quality department in 2018. I love to learn, and it’s been a great transition for me. Just as with medicine, on a jobsite, you go in, read the room, and evaluate the situation. You have to form the right relationships and investigate problems.
I am grateful to work alongside many fellow veterans at JE Dunn. I can load a lot onto their shoulders because I know they can take it — and that they will tell me if they can’t.
The major takeaway that I carry with me from my service is that there’s no such thing as failure. You can do anything you want, but you can’t do it all. This Veterans Day, I encourage you to prioritize, focus on what you want, and go get it.
