Ask Me About My Time in the Military—Here’s Why I’ll Always Say Yes

This Women Veterans Day, I’m flipping the script. Don’t just thank me—ask me. Ask me about the boot camp bruises, the lifelong friendships, the chaos, the calm, the coffee-fueled duty nights, and the moments that changed me forever.

💬 Why Questions About My Service Mean More Than Simple Thank-Yous

I appreciate a “thank you for your service,” I really do. But you know what means even more? Curiosity. When someone says, “What was it like for you?” or “What made you join?”—that’s when I feel truly seen. Women Veterans Day reminds me that acknowledgment is only half the battle.

Understanding is what moves the needle.

Ask me what it was like to be a woman in uniform. Ask me how it shaped me. Ask me how I balanced my duty with everything else life threw at me. You might be surprised by the answers—and I’d be honored to share them.

🪖 My Proudest and Hardest Military Moments

There are snapshots in my mind I’ll never forget:

• Standing proud during pinning ceremonies.

• The quiet pride after helping a shipmate through something heavy.

• The exhaustion after a 12-hour shift that somehow still felt worth it.

• The friendships you make are everlasting.

• The confidence it instills in you.

But there were hard moments, too.

• Feeling underestimated.

• Fighting imposter syndrome.

• Missing holidays, missing family, missing myself.

• Trauma (MST/PTSD/Anxiety/Depression)

• Divorce

• Losing friends to suicide or KIA.

Still, every moment—good or bad—built the foundation I stand on today. I

wouldn’t trade the lessons for anything.

👩‍✈️ What Being a Woman in Uniform Really Looked Like

Being a woman in the military meant carrying expectations I didn’t ask for—being twice as good, never too emotional, and constantly proving I belonged. It meant walking into rooms where I was the only woman and feeling the weight of being a silent representative for all of us. It wasn’t just about doing the job—it was about doing it flawlessly, because any mistake might reinforce someone’s bias.

I learned early that confidence had to be earned—not just from leadership, but from my peers, my subordinates, and sometimes even myself. I couldn’t afford an off day. If I got frustrated, I was "too emotional." If I spoke up, I was "too aggressive." If I succeeded, it was questioned. If I failed, it was amplified.

But I also found pride in shattering expectations.

I held my own. I lifted others up. I led with strength, and I led with compassion—yes, both at once. I became someone younger women in the ranks could look up to, someone who showed that femininity and grit were never mutually exclusive. That you can wear a uniform, carry a weapon, manage a team, and still carry softness in your heart.

Being a woman in the military meant being underestimated until I wasn’t. And proving them wrong was my favorite part.

🔄 The Transition Out—And the Strength It Took

Leaving the military wasn’t just a job change. It was an identity shift. Suddenly, my title, my routine, my support network—all gone in a single DD-214.

But I found strength in rediscovering who I was beyond the uniform. I leaned into healing, into community, into building a new life with the same values that once made me lace up my boots: service, integrity, and resilience.

🌱 The Legacy I Hope to Leave Behind

I want the next generation of women service members and veterans to know they are enough. That their experiences matter. That their service isn’t defined by a rank, a deployment, or a patch—but by how they showed up every day.

I want to be part of normalizing the narrative: Women have served. Women are serving. And women will continue to lead, inspire, and overcome.

🫡 Closing Thought

Women Veterans Day isn’t just about the past—it’s about the voices we still carry. So go ahead—ask me about my time in the military. I’ve got stories that deserve to be heard. And trust me: once I start talking, you’ll realize this uniform came with more than just rank and ribbon. It came with heart.