Post/UVU, Into to Navy Life

Every one has a good reason for what they do, when they do it. Well, you hope they do at least. I suppose that as a general statement particularly in our day and time is a bit too far fetched to hope to be true, though the thought of it being true is nice.

We came to a decision for me to leave school, we being I explained everything as I saw it, she asked what I thought I should do, I expressed to her the routes I saw as options and she confirmed that she would follow me with whatever I felt to be where I needed to be and with whatever I felt I needed to be doing. We went through countless applications with workplaces while I was still in school, for greater than the last year I was in college I was putting in applications with places I thought I would do well in, places I thought would hire me, places I felt I was qualified to work for. Before 9 months had passed I had not received so much as an email with all the applications and resumes I'd submitted. With all my phone calls, online applications, in person applications and email submissions I'd not heard a peep. Over 65 places I'd applied with in 9 months. My degree was solid, my portfolio was balanced and though not the best I'd ever seen it was above average.

Where to go and what to do. My last term in college I unofficially withdrew. I'd discussed options with my Guidance Counselor, College Dept Head and College Dean, none of what they offered was something I could work with, I'd been in school getting jerked around for 4 years to get an associates degree, now they were saying to get a years worth of classes was going to take a minimum of two years IF they worked the classes in right for me but they were suggesting it would be more a 3 to 4 year duration to finish my Bachelors degree. Some terms I would only be allowed to take one course, due to pre-requisites that had been enacted After I'd had my degree route secured. Other terms I would be taking 20 credit hours to get the classes needed to take one or two courses the following term.

This was IF they didn't make any changes (as they were planning to and subsequently Have made) along the way.

What was I to do.

My wife a year or so after we were married was diagnosed with a prolactinoma, finding out about it we found out she wasn't pregnant, recognizing what it was we found out we may not be able to have children at all. We went through the hoops, the blood work, the MRI, the specialist (endocrinologist), all to find out a little pill once a week Might shrink the tumor and Should balance the hormone levels which had gone so far out of alignment some where along the way. With the insurance I had at the time the MRI was $1,200+ out of pocket, another $600 or so was covered by our insurance. Some time thereafter I would leave that job and we'd be paying $450 a month for health insurance that wouldn't cover my wifes medical needs. We had some help with that the entire way, something I didn't ask for but financially couldn't afford to deny accepting.

The long story short is that in 2009 an opening was available in a rating that I had tested well in, the company was the United States Navy, despite having an Associates degree because of the economic collapse in 2007 from the housing market the Department of Defense had become flooded with enlistees and commissioned personnel.  What this meant for me was that had I joined a year earlier I might have been able to join as an Officer, but taking my time I joined as an Enlisted, going to bootcamp as an E3.  I completed bootcamp in Great Lakes, IL., and "crossed the street" to attend my "A" school or "Apprenticeship School" as an Operations Specialist.  Following that I went to Damneck Virginia where I attended the GCCS-m 3.x (Global Command and Control System-Maritime) "C" school and reported shortly thereafter to VTC-11, Tactical Air Control Squadron 11 (also known as TACRON 11).

Shortly after arriving at TACRON 11 I embarked on the USS Decatur, DDG 73 for a 2 week training while they performed their "COMPTUEX", thereafter I embarked the USS Germantown, LSD-42 where myself and a handful of others from my command assisted their "Deck Department" (Where all the Boatswains' Mates and Undesignated Seamen work) in getting their ship ready for a major inspection they had coming up.  INSURV.  Following that joy I came back to my command to discover I'd been swapped out for someone and was now deploying on the USS Boxer the following February 2011, it was August 2010.  Knowing I was now deploying on the USS Boxer LHD-4 vice the USS Makin Island LHD-8 (which I had previously been slated for) I realized my "plans" to adjust to California and begin school were being put on hold indefinitely.

Following a successful 7 month deployment (during the which I injured my knee requiring knee surgery, performed May 18 2012 by LCDR Fraser at Balboa Hospital, San Diego CA) I began school with the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, through their Online Division.  Currently I'm pursuing a Bachelors of Science in Photography through their program, which will take me beyond my current enlistment but will take less time (starting nearly from scratch) with their program than continuing on with UVU would have taken.  Had I not joined the Navy I never would have discovered the Art Institute, I wouldn't be shooting on a 5D MKII and I would be kicking myself for what I wasn't learning at UVU.