I Enlisted Three Months Before 9/11 And Never Looked Back (Jessica Linna)

A lot of veteran stories get flattened into headlines. Jessica Linna’s doesn’t. She enlisted in the Michigan Army National Guard in 2001, just three months before 9/11, not because she had a perfect plan but because she didn’t. After losing her sister days before graduation, she’s honest about feeling aimless, trying college, working a solid job, and still wanting a direction that actually meant something.

We talk through what it’s like to become a combat medic (68W), from Fort Leonard Wood basics to Fort Sam Houston training, and the moments you never forget, like reception halls replaying the towers falling, CS gas, field exercises, and the quiet strategy of staying “under the radar.” Jessica shares how the military can build discipline and teamwork while also leaving lasting traces, including how a startle response can follow you years after a war zone.

Then the conversation moves to her 2006 to 2007 Iraq War deployment to Baghdad, including working in and around Saddam’s former sites, operating in western then central Baghdad, and the nerve racking limbo of trying to leave through BIAP while rockets and mortars still hit nearby. We also dig into what coming home really looks like: unexpected community support in Bangor, Maine, the demobilization grind, and the emotional whiplash of switching from survival mode back to normal life.

Finally, Jessica connects service to the next chapter: finishing a nursing degree, building a civilian nursing career, and finding her lane at the VA as a float nurse. Along the way we touch on marriage strain among veterans, single parenting, family loss during COVID, and the simple standard she wants to be remembered by: do your best and care about other people. If you value honest military-to-civilian transition stories, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review. What line from the conversation hit you the hardest?

Transcript

Childhood In Michigan

SPEAKER_00 0:33

Today is Wednesday, April 1st, 2026. We're talking with Jessica Lina, who served in the Michigan Army National Guard. So good afternoon, Jessica.

SPEAKER_01 0:42

Good afternoon.

SPEAKER_00 0:43

Thanks for having me in your home. I appreciate you doing this for us.

SPEAKER_01 0:47

Thank you for coming.

SPEAKER_00 0:47

All right. We'll start out real simple. When and where were you born?

SPEAKER_01 0:51

I was born in Jackson, Michigan in January 29, 1981, at the old um East or I'm sorry, West Foot Hospital. I had to check that out with my mom.

SPEAKER_00 1:01

Oh, okay. And so did you live in Jackson then? Did you grow up there?

SPEAKER_01 1:06

Yep. Um, my dad was transferred from the railroad. He worked for Conrail, the old um train depot in Jackson. Um, and he was transferred when I was in third grade. So we came out to the Plymouth Canton area. He worked for Norfolk Southern after that.

SPEAKER_00 1:22

Okay. Was it a tough transition at that age to move out here?

SPEAKER_01 1:26

Not really, actually, because we grew up in an area that had a bunch of uh gopher hills and molehills, so we didn't have any sidewalks to go and play or ride bikes. So we actually appreciated being out in the the suburbs and having parks and sidewalks.

SPEAKER_00 1:44

Yeah. What about brothers and sisters?

SPEAKER_01 1:46

Uh yep, I uh I'm the oldest of three. I uh had a younger sister, two and a half years younger. Um, she passed away eight days before I graduated high school. Um, and then I have my brother who's about four years younger than me. He lives not too far away from here.

SPEAKER_00 2:04

Yeah. So family kind of stuck around.

SPEAKER_01 2:07

Oh, yeah, yeah. We're all here in Michigan. I can't wait until my kids are grown and I'm heading south. I need palm trees and sun and hopefully a beach.

SPEAKER_00 2:16

Yeah. Not a lot of palm trees and sun in Michigan.

SPEAKER_01 2:19

No, and and my tortoise needs it too.

SPEAKER_00 2:21

Yeah, exactly. Exactly. So talk to me a little bit about growing up. Uh what was it like for you as a kid?

SPEAKER_01 2:28

Um, well, like I mentioned, my uh dad uh worked for Conrail and his father as well. And so I remember running around the old Jackson um depot, which I I know because I've taken the train to Chicago, they still stop there on the way. And it's always neat to see that. Um, but I remember running around there and the old train charts that were super long and on paper. And he would bring them home sometimes, the you know, the expired ones, and we would trace our outline. You know, one of us, one of us uh three would lay down, we'd trace our outline and make like a like life-size paper doll out of it. Um so that was fun. Um and I'd catch salamanders and daddy long legs, and I still love you know critters, as long as they have four legs, nothing less, nothing more.

SPEAKER_00 3:22

Not snakes, then, right?

SPEAKER_01 3:23

No snakes. And my daughter, when I said they have to have legs, um, she said, Oh, well, can we have a millipede? It's like, no.

SPEAKER_00 3:32

Not a million legs, just for yeah, just four. Absolutely. Just four. Um, so what was school like? Did you uh play sports? Were you in clubs? Talk to me a little about school growing up.

SPEAKER_01 3:43

I wasn't in sports. Um, I did do brownies in third grade, fourth grade, and my mom helped out with that. And then um I did Girl Scouts for a year or two. Um, I wasn't super athletic growing up, I was very active, but I've never had great game. So um the military um helped me with that.

SPEAKER_02 4:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:07

A lot of blood, sweat, and tears out on the range to do that. But um uh yeah, we we just we hung out a lot. Um, we did a lot of projects and um just family time, hanging out outside. And to this day, I prefer to be outside.

SPEAKER_00 4:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:24

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 4:26

That's the reason you want to go south, right?

SPEAKER_01 4:28

Yes. Oh, yeah.

Loss, Drift, And Choosing To Enlist

SPEAKER_00 4:29

Absolutely. So, what about um high school? Talk to me about a little bit about high school. How'd that go for you?

SPEAKER_01 4:36

Um, for the most part, not too bad. You know, I kind of um slacked off my ninth grade year, but my mom has always been quite the stickler, my mom and dad, but especially my mom, about doing your homework on time, getting good grades, um, doing good jobs on your project, study as hard as you can. And so um after ninth grade, I got back in line. And uh I didn't really know what I wanted to do when I graduated. And then after the loss of my sister, I was a little bit lost for a while. Um I had full-time jobs. I tried school craft college um for a semester, I think. And I didn't really know what I wanted to do, and that's how I ended up enlisting.

SPEAKER_00 5:20

I see. Do would you mind talking about what happened to your sister?

SPEAKER_01 5:22

Uh is she hung herself?

SPEAKER_00 5:24

Oh, I'm I'm sorry. I'm sorry to hear that. So you uh you know, I hear this from a lot of middle military, myself included, in I tried college for like a semester or for like 10 minutes or whatever.

SPEAKER_01 5:35

It just wasn't not at that time, right? You know, and then you feel like you're wasting money and time. And my parents agreed to help me um to get through at least community college, but I I didn't know what I wanted to declare. Um, and I actually had a good job. I was working at a weight loss clinic. Um, I was a manager at a weight loss clinic for several years. So I made good money. I just, it's not something that I wanted to do forever, but I didn't know what I wanted to do. So I wasn't irresponsible.

SPEAKER_00 6:08

How did you end up in the National Guard uh as opposed to some of the other services?

SPEAKER_01 6:12

Well, that's my mom again. She um my my brother um was big into cars. He still is cars and motorcycles, and they were down in Myelin, and he's very tall, and he looks like at the time, he looked like he was older than he was. And the recruiter um uh gave my mom some information, was trying to recruit him, and she let him know, like, oh, he's only 14 or 15, whatever he was. And she said, But I have a daughter, and so they gave her a brochure, and when my mom gave it to me, I probably rolled my eyes, was like, Yeah, yeah, whatever, put it in the bottom of my purse. And it's probably about six months later or so when I was cleaning stuff out and I came across it, and it just I was like, eh, what's it gonna hurt? Go take the ASVA, whatever. Um, and next thing you know, I was raising my right hand.

SPEAKER_00 7:06

All that quick, huh?

SPEAKER_01 7:08

It wasn't too, too quick. Actually, the Air Force came knocking first, and which is funny because you know, they don't always get the the um information that, oh, you enlisted. So even after I'd been serving in the army for a few years, you still had the Air Force calling. I'm like, uh no, I'm already actively engaged.

SPEAKER_00 7:27

And they're done that.

SPEAKER_01 7:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:29

So uh how fast was it from the time you raised your right hand to the time you went to basic training? Was it pretty quick?

SPEAKER_01 7:35

Uh, that's a good question. So um if they'd had their way, yes. Um, I was able to negotiate taking the summer off. So I enlisted three months before 9-11. And many people have asked me, you know, would you have changed your mind? And I've said, like, no, no. Um, I didn't enlist because of patriotism necessarily. I didn't appreciate what I do today. Um, I enlisted because I felt aimless and I was raised to have a direction and to um be a good citizen and contribute and have a purpose in life. Um, so that's why I enlisted. And I appreciate now more today um my service than I did back then. Um but no, I I wouldn't have changed my mind. Um yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:29

So what was your MOS when you enlisted?

SPEAKER_01 8:31

Uh when I enlisted, it was a 91 whiskey, which the nomenclature changed. So I became a 68 whiskey, which is medic, combat medic.

SPEAKER_00 8:40

Okay. So you went to Texas then?

Basic Training Shock And Lessons

SPEAKER_01 8:43

Yes, the good old uh yes, Fort Sam Houston. Beautiful. It's awesome down there. Yeah, it's the river walk. I had though those were good times.

SPEAKER_00 8:52

Yeah. So talk to me about though like the first day of boot camp, like when you got there. Tell me what that was like for you.

SPEAKER_01 9:00

Uh well, they did the shakedown, and I, you know, because I was raised by my mom and both my parents, but especially my mom, like follow the rules. So um I packed according to the list. I didn't pack things I wasn't supposed to, but some people did. So the drill sergeants are like, get off the bus, get off, get off, hurry up, hurry up. And they had us all in some sort of formation with our bags. And there was um one girl who had packed a couple of wigs, and the drill sergeants were immediately on top of her um and you know, mad at her and harassing her. So it's, you know, they taught you quickly how to follow the rules.

SPEAKER_00 9:40

Right. What was she gonna do with wigs and basic training?

SPEAKER_01 9:43

I don't know, but they they attached one of them to the end of a um mop handle and mop the floor with it.

SPEAKER_00 9:49

So yeah, so much for that, right? So if you think about basic training, what are some of the things that really stand out in your mind?

SPEAKER_01 9:59

Um, so our lead drill sergeant, his name was um drill sergeant Mada. And he was short, but um, you know, built um and could run forever. Um, and he told us, you know what Mada means soldiers, it means that so we'd be like in our little room, like um in the in the barracks, and like all of us like you know, packed in there, and they'd be doing mail call and whatever. And yeah, he was he was pretty intense. Um, he'd make us like try to, you know, smoke us, like do push-ups and whatever, and there's no room to do that when you uh that they were very entertained by that, I'm sure. Um, and toward the end of the cycle, so I think the cycle is what nine weeks, 12 weeks, something like that. Um, there was uh uh drill sergeant um Densmore, and apparently he'd been to Panama and whatever else he'd been involved in some stuff, but he was on the obstacle course, and he was like, Linda, where did you come from? I was like, I've been here the I've been here the whole time, drill sergeant. He said, What? I never seen you before. You're your espionage, uh you're you're infiltrating and whatnot. Um, so I attribute that to the fact I didn't volunteer. I was told by my recruiter, don't volunteer, do what you're supposed to, don't volunteer, don't stick out. So I didn't. And my name is in the middle of the alphabet, and I just I did what I was told, stayed in line, and worked the hardest I could.

SPEAKER_00 11:37

Flew in under the radar.

SPEAKER_01 11:39

Yes. And and he caught me though, toward the end of the cycle. He's like, Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:45

Now, so when you went there, was it uh like one unit training? So it was all medics, and then you went to AIT.

SPEAKER_01 11:52

That was AIT, um, was in Fort Sam. So I went to Fort Leonard Wood, Fort Lost in the Wood for basic training. Um, yes, yes. Um, that's where I went to basic training. And another thing that sticks out is when we did um the gas chamber with uh C4, I think.

SPEAKER_00 12:11

Um CS gas.

SPEAKER_01 12:13

CS gas.

SPEAKER_00 12:14

C4 would have blown you up.

SPEAKER_01 12:15

Okay, well, that's a CS was bad enough.

SPEAKER_00 12:18

Yes, yes, it was.

SPEAKER_01 12:19

But they made us drink milk. We had lunch, and then we went to the gas chamber, and they made us drink milk that day. And I somehow pretended I did, I can't even remember, but I did not drink the milk I knew butter. And so, of course, when they make you remove your mask when you're in there, like everyone comes out barping and just nasty. There's nothing worse.

SPEAKER_02 12:43

Right.

SPEAKER_01 12:43

Um, but there's that, and like when we did our FTX at the end of the training, um, the three-day FTX, they had us do um a formation and we were dressed right dressed, so we were all packed in. And then they made us sing the Star Spangled Banner and they threw a can of CS in the middle. Fun times back then. They couldn't touch us by the time that I went in. They couldn't physically harm you, but they could they could make you harm yourself.

SPEAKER_00 13:12

Yeah. Yes, yeah, or mentally mess with you.

SPEAKER_01 13:15

Oh, yeah. Yes. Yes. There was a couple of times where we went to go out on like a road march, and um, you know, other soldiers hadn't listened and had their canteens or like been battle ready. They didn't, they didn't have the equipment that they were supposed to, or had their canteens topped off.

SPEAKER_02 13:31

Right.

SPEAKER_01 13:32

And so they would make us um uh go back inside like chug everything we had, go back inside, fill it up, chug everything you had, go back inside, fill it up until there was probably at least a third of the soldiers, a third of the privates that were puking.

SPEAKER_00 13:50

Lesson learned, right?

SPEAKER_01 13:52

Uh well, like they said, you know, you gotta check your battle body. So, you know, as hard as that kind of stuff was, it does make you appreciate what they're trying to, you know, they do a good job of breaking you down but building you up as a team.

SPEAKER_00 14:06

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 14:07

That you have to have. I mean, there's no pretty way around it if you're gonna go to a war zone or whatnot. Gotta be prepared.

SPEAKER_00 14:13

You gotta look out for the person next to you, whether you like them or not.

SPEAKER_01 14:16

That's right. Yes, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 14:19

Yep. So you uh graduated from basic. Did you did your family come down for your graduation at all?

9/11 In Reception And Medic School

SPEAKER_01 14:26

Um, yes, to Fort Leonard Wood. Yes, they did. Um, and so they saw me um graduate basic training, and then I went to Fort Sam and they came, they didn't see me graduate from that, but they came down around Easter and then because the medic school is like six months. Um so they came down around Easter and we graduated at like at the beginning of May. So, yes, they were very supportive the whole time. And my mom, you know, she's the one who gave me the brochure after they tried to recruit my brother. Right. So, especially after 9-11, I'm sure she was kicking herself. And then when we deployed 06 through seven, um I I know she didn't sleep well, and I being a mom myself now, I understand why. Um, but uh yeah, it's they've always been very supportive in my extended family, aunts, uncles, yep, sending care packages.

SPEAKER_00 15:26

What year did you go into the military?

SPEAKER_01 15:29

2001. So June 21, 2001.

SPEAKER_00 15:32

Okay. Yeah, like literally right before right before 9-11.

SPEAKER_01 15:36

When we were in reception, um, so we were there for like eight days, I think, um, before we went downrange and actually started basic training. And so the reception period doesn't count. Right. Yeah. But uh about eight days long. So we were in this big hall um waiting to get measured for your uniforms, for your boots, um, your financial um and insurance information, all of that in order. And they had us sitting on very skinny hard wooden benches in between times, the hurry up and wait. And they had huge TVs in each corner of the reception area. And they were playing, you know, we had 24-hour news cycle back then, and they were playing over and over the towers falling. So, you know, I kind of knew like yep.

SPEAKER_00 16:27

It's gonna be a little bit different experience. Yeah. So you uh you go to AIT, um, you qualified as a medic. Yes. Yeah. Um, so talk me about that experience.

SPEAKER_01 16:39

Well, when I took the ASVAB, they um I qualified for and for what they needed, it was either medic or military police. And I chose medic because it was a couple thousand dollars more for the bonus.

SPEAKER_02 16:51

Right.

SPEAKER_01 16:52

And actually, it was a really good deal. Um, you know, uh my military service paid for um my nursing degree. Uh, I graduated debt-free. And I have friends my age who are still paying back student loans. But um, yeah, I really enjoyed my experience overall. I think, you know, there's there's hard parts of having served and things that I still have to work on. And I I still startle easy, you know. I and I don't, that's 20 years later after being out of Iraq. I don't think that'll ever go away. But if I could go back and change anything, I would not. Um I think overall it was it was a really good experience. You know, being down at Fort Sam back then, I've heard that it's changed since then. But once you pass like the first month of training and got your EMT, um, like you can work on an ambulance, the uh the civilian side of things. So before you get to the combat medic stuff, um, if you pass all of that on time, they let you go out on the weekends. So we went downtown San Antonio every weekend. We had a great time. There's this place called Dirty Nellies, it was right off the river walk. And it's funny because it was literally just steps away from the river. Thankfully, the river was man-made, so it was only a couple feet deep. But it was every weekend. Some some dummy would, you know, have imbibe too much and fall into the river. So just silly fun times. Um, yeah, I had some some good people down there, you know, our drill sergeants were very supportive, our instructors. It was a good time.

SPEAKER_00 18:30

And then, so what unit did you come to here at Michigan, the first unit?

SPEAKER_01 18:33

I was I was trying to look that up and I couldn't figure it out. It was something Charlie, like 91st Charlie or 90, I can't remember. But um, just like the medic nomenclature, uh, the um unit name changed a few years after I was in. So we started off at the Detroit Light Guard Armory off of Ryan and East Eight Mile. Yeah. You know where that is? Yes. Yep, yep. So we started off there, and then they renamed us to the 1171st Area Support Medical Company, okay, which is kind of like a mash unit. Um, so you've got dental, lab, x-ray, a little bit of everything. Um, and uh while we were in Baghdad, uh the rear support moved our unit over to the old signal battalion in Ipsilanti, which is where they remain today.

SPEAKER_00 19:25

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 19:25

Yeah. In fact, my boyfriend's daughter is a medic in the Army National Guard, and she's about to transfer into that unit from Saginaw is where she's at right now.

SPEAKER_00 19:36

Yeah, I remember when it was a signal unit actually.

SPEAKER_01 19:39

Okay, yeah, yep.

SPEAKER_00 19:40

So you were at your so you got to your unit like in 2002, then that time frame after AIT?

SPEAKER_01 19:47

Yes, beginning of 2002.

SPEAKER_00 19:49

So you're there for a couple of years before you actually deployed those.

SPEAKER_01 19:52

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 19:53

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 19:53

Yep. I was in my third year out of four for my bachelor's in nursing, which was very unnerving at the time. So I was like, oh my gosh. Like I I I have kids, I love my children, but I know I knew I did not want to work in OBGYN or pediatrics.

SPEAKER_02 20:09

Right.

SPEAKER_01 20:10

And those are classes that I took before we deployed. So I was concerned that like, oh my gosh, I'm gonna fail my NCLEX, which is the nursing board, when I come home, you know, is a year and a half, two years. I graduated like two years behind because of the deployment, and everything ended up being fine. But uh yes.

SPEAKER_00 20:31

So talk to me about deployment. Um, where did you uh deploy out of?

SPEAKER_01 20:37

We deployed out of Detroit. Um, my now ex-husband um and I um actually we were on like a short snippet of the news uh channel four or one.

SPEAKER_00 20:49

So were you married at the time you deployed?

SPEAKER_01 20:51

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 20:51

Okay. So you met your husband in the National Guard? Yes.

Baghdad Deployment And Clinic Work

SPEAKER_01 20:54

Okay, and didn't realize until after the fact, apparently, when there's one veteran involved, 70% of marriages end up in divorce. You know, do the math.

SPEAKER_00 21:04

We don't have a great track record.

SPEAKER_01 21:06

Well, and I get it now, but you know, when you're young and in love and whatnot. And he was really good with kids. You know, there were um, there were a lot of the guys that would bring um their um sons and daughters and um to drill weekend because they were also divorced.

SPEAKER_02 21:24

Right.

SPEAKER_01 21:24

And uh Mike was always very, very good with them, and so that's what drew my attention. Witty guy, you know, very funny. And um he reclassified as a medic. So he was originally 82nd Airborne and deployed within weeks of 9-11 happening. So he was regular army. I was always National Guard till we deployed. Okay. Um, and then when he came to my unit a few years later, so probably around 2004, um, 2003, something like that. Um yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:01

So you deployed together. Where did you deploy to?

SPEAKER_01 22:04

We deployed to Baghdad. So for the first six months, we were Western Baghdad, and for the second six months, we were central Baghdad. So in like the green zone.

SPEAKER_02 22:15

Right.

SPEAKER_01 22:16

Um, and we were in Saddam's largest Republican palace off, I believe the Tigris. Um so seeing a lot of higher ups, a lot of traffic through there. When we were um the first six months of our deployment in the western area of Baghdad. It was at um Saddam's old hunting lodge. I don't know how many hunting lodges he has, but it was a nice one. It was by Alfall Palace off Camp Victory. And um for the most part, Mike was on the ambulance crew and I was um one of the lead medics running a team in the clinic, which was preferred because I I outranked him as well. So it's it's easier if you're not working side by side with your significant other.

SPEAKER_00 23:04

So somebody smart saw that, right?

SPEAKER_01 23:07

And yes, but I thankfully our commander, so that's that's one of the things too, um, that I didn't want to get married until after I finished nursing school, which I couldn't do until after the deployment. Um, but we'd already been together for several years, and the military doesn't recognize a boyfriend, girlfriend, fiance. You're either are or you aren't. And I even even then our commander, Major Oganaga, um, still had to sign off on us um working and residing together. So that was really nice to have him over there. Um, probably one of the least selfish things that he's ever done is to decide to go because uh it had been within two years of when he went to Afghanistan. So he didn't have to go. And it was very comforting having him over there. We weren't the only married couple. We actually had um we called them Franks and Beans because um uh we had another couple that I think they got married for the convenience where Mike and I were already together, but we're all divorced now.

SPEAKER_00 24:16

Yeah. Now you didn't have children when you deployed then, didn't you?

SPEAKER_01 24:20

No, that's why I got out is um in 2009. I was very pregnant with Sonia. She was born Texas, so April 15. Uh, she's about to be 17 years old. And um uh so thankfully they make the uniforms for men, at least back then. So I didn't have to have a maternity uniform, it was plenty big.

SPEAKER_02 24:42

Right.

SPEAKER_01 24:43

And uh I got out like eight days before I delivered her. I was my last drill. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 24:49

Well, talk to me a little bit about uh coming back from deployment. How was that for you?

Coming Home Support And BIAP Stress

SPEAKER_01 24:55

Um, I can remember. So, like I said, the rear detachment moved us to Ypsilanti. And so when we flew back in, I think we went through Bangor, Maine again. We did on the way out, and I believe so on the way back, which was really awesome. The residents of Bangor somehow know or like keep track of units deploying and returning home. And there was like a whole reception line on the way out and on the way back. And when when we left um to fly over um uh uh for the deployment, it was like a stupid time of day. It was like 10:30 at night or something. And all of these residents showed up, and whether they're residents of Bangor or whatnot, like all of these people showed up with signs and support, and that that was really, really awesome. And same thing on the way back. Um, so when we landed in the States, they had us, um, uh, I think we went on a bus and then we went over to Fort McCoy, which I never care to go back to again. Um, and after we did our demobilization, which you just can't wait to get home, and then it's like another week stuck doing, you know, exit stuff and whatever for good reason, but still, you're like, oh, can I just sign something and get me out of here? Um, and then they had the freedom riders. So after Fort McCoy and Wisconsin, we came back toward Michigan. I think we picked up the Freedom Riders and about Battle Creek. And so a bunch of motorcycle guys that were like, yeah, it was that was really cool. And my parents were at the armory and Ipsy, and like I've still got pictures that was very neat. Um, getting out of Iraq was not so neat. Oh my gosh. So they had BIAP, which was Baghdad International Airport, um, formerly Saddam Hussein Airport. Um, and they didn't really use the hard structure. They had a bunch of tents set up and like hard, hard tents, but still. Uh, they kept us in theater. We were there up until like the last hour of 365 days. And then they don't want to have to pay a whole unit or combat and hazard duty pay. So maybe sure you make it out eventually, but we were set to go home three days prior to that. So for three days, we slept in the tented area hearing rockets and mortars and dirt. And uh, if we were hungry and MRE and just hoping that we'd make it out of there because our flight kept getting bumped, but we made it out.

SPEAKER_00 27:44

Yeah, I feel like that area really wasn't set up to have people wait. No, it didn't seem in and there was no there's no scheduled flights either. They just come in and out, and you're if you're lucky, you get on one. I remember I remember that mass. It was awful.

SPEAKER_01 28:00

Yep, but at least I mean, I I talked to people who did the initial um setup back, you know, the initial invasion back in 2003. So by the time that we were there, we did have like the interceptor radar, we had bunkers everywhere, we had Huskos, we had T walls. I mean, that still can only do so much, but we at least had all of that available.

SPEAKER_00 28:21

Yep, absolutely. A lot of a lot of the areas were more hardened than when we first went in.

SPEAKER_01 28:26

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00 28:27

So you come back, you go to your new armory uh with your unit, and um you end up getting pregnant.

Leaving The Guard And Identity Shift

SPEAKER_01 28:35

Well, that was planned at some point. Yeah, that that that was planned. Um but and I I really do miss serving. That's why I I am involved at my VFW here in Plymouth. Um, I miss serving, but I didn't feel like it was conducive to having family plus kids. Um, and my, you know, their dad was still serving at the time. Um, so at least I knew that I would be safe and and home.

SPEAKER_00 29:05

Right. Yeah. Right. So you made that hard decision to get out really close to actually having your first child.

SPEAKER_01 29:11

Well, that, and I just graduated nursing school. I could have gone to OCS and I'm uh I'm a go-getter. I'm type A, I'm like do do do do, you know, work as hard as you can. So I could have really probably went pretty far. So, you know, I don't have regret necessarily, but curiosity about what that would have looked like.

SPEAKER_00 29:31

Yeah, I mean, unfortunately, we don't get to look at the choice that we didn't make, right? Sure don't.

SPEAKER_01 29:36

I'm happy enough with the choices I made.

SPEAKER_00 29:38

Absolutely. That's that's the key. Yes. That's the key. We can think about what would have happened. Yep. But it doesn't matter at this point. Right. So you had your daughter in 2009. Um, let me ask you this though. So I know you were pregnant and you were getting out and and and you know you graduated nursing school, but what was it like? You know, you had served for for how many years then?

SPEAKER_01 29:59

So nine years.

SPEAKER_00 30:00

Yes, right.

SPEAKER_01 30:01

Nine years.

SPEAKER_00 30:01

Yeah, pretty close to the halfway point.

SPEAKER_01 30:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:04

What was it like when you like put that uniform on for what you knew was going to be the last time? Like you knew I'm not ever putting this uniform on again.

SPEAKER_01 30:12

Well, actually, I did put the uniform on again, but like obviously I know to be respectful and not wear, you know, like my rank and whatever. But like when we when I went trigger treating with my kids or um they actually do a really nice um Veterans Day uh week up at my son's school. So I have I have worn my uniform again. Um don't fit into my class A's. They starved me to death for those. They're in my closet. Um, but yeah, the last time showing up to drill and participating, you know, it's bittersweet. You know, there's nothing like serving in the military. You know, there's times where um it's very frustrating, especially the hurry up and wait. And because I work for the federal government still. Um, and uh, you know, I have a real appreciation for that though. I feel like compared to some of my co-workers, um I'm used to how things operate. It's a big bureaucracy, things are always changing. I swear, when we were in Baghdad, they used to have a formation to discuss they were moving the formation later to this time. Like it was just insane. It would, you know, we'd always call it, we'd say, okay, we're going to formation for change number 499. Right. Right. But uh yeah, it was bittersweet.

SPEAKER_00 32:03

So did you take your uh you graduated, but did when did you take your nursing boards then?

SPEAKER_01 32:10

I would know I was super pregnant and I was so worried because you can't leave the room. And I was like, oh my gosh, I'm gonna have to pee.

SPEAKER_02 32:18

Right.

SPEAKER_01 32:19

So I tried to stay dehydrated for that. Um, I think the spring or no, wouldn't let me see. We came back. Okay, so probably the spring of or late summer, maybe I can't totally remember of 08. And I graduated that winter.

SPEAKER_00 32:39

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 32:39

So yep.

Building A Nursing Career After War

SPEAKER_00 32:41

All right. So then you're when you have your after you have your daughter, then you're ready to start being a nurse.

SPEAKER_01 32:47

Oh, yeah, yeah. And I was. Um, I still remember working for what now it's Corwell after Beaumont. I worked for Oakwood Annapolis back years ago and Wayne in the ICU. And I still remember waddling around there, being pregnant as a new graduate nurse. And all of my coworkers were awesome. You know, you've got different germs and you know, creepy crawlies like C. diff and whatever. So when you're pregnant, you don't really want to be exposed to that. So they would make sure to give me an assignment where I wasn't as exposed. And then when I had Sonia, that my daughter, um, I remember bringing her up there and introducing her to, you know, my coworkers and whatnot. And uh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:29

Yep. So how long did you work there?

SPEAKER_01 33:33

Five years total, I think. So when I was in nursing school, I was a nurse extern, which you're kind of working under the license of a senior nurse. Um, and you're you're limited in scope, but you learn a lot that way um while you're going through school. And then I stayed there as a graduate nurse for a couple of years.

SPEAKER_02 33:52

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 33:53

And then it is it it wasn't run very well. I'll just put it that way. There were lawsuits actually back, not from me, but class action stuff from staffing issues and whatnot. Um, so they actually burnt me out and I went to uh home care. I did home care for for over a dozen years, which I dearly miss. But um that's a hard thing because they pay per case, and when the paperwork gets to be, you know, double the time, you're still in so I would have made more money working up at the local Taco Bell. So I left that and now I'm at the VA, which I love. But I really do like being outside, I love being in the community. So I am looking to go back to home care, but for the VA. I won't leave the VA.

SPEAKER_00 34:44

Right. It's a great place to work.

SPEAKER_01 34:47

Oh my gosh, yes. The private sector, because it's for profit, it's it's a tough thing.

SPEAKER_00 34:52

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 34:53

And it's getting tougher.

SPEAKER_00 34:55

So tell me about your son. When was he born?

Kids, Divorce, Grief, And Family Help

SPEAKER_01 34:57

Octavian was born on Mother's Day, yes, which was super cool. Um, uh May 9 of 2013. So he's about to be 13. And he's starting to age. Yes, and he's starting tackle football this year. Um, they're both very loving, sweet kids. I've been very fortunate. We've had our challenges, but they're both good kids. Um, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:23

So tell me about his name. That's an interesting name.

SPEAKER_01 35:25

Oh, Octavian. I got I'm glad you asked. So when Mike and I were in Baghdad, Sonia and Octavian, we came up with both of their names then, and that was in 06, 07. And Sonia wasn't born until 09 in the 2013. And we came up with their names then and we stuck with it. So Octavian, um, the HBO series Rome.

SPEAKER_00 35:48

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_01 35:49

Did you watch it?

SPEAKER_00 35:50

I did not, but I know what you're talking about.

SPEAKER_01 35:51

Yes, yep. Um, so Octavius Augustus and Octavius, Octavian itself is quite elaborate. Um, so we went with that instead of Octavius. But we had said if uh the girl Octavia and boy. Um, and so that's how we got his name. And then Sonia was named after a bomb-sniffing dog. It was a Belgian Malanois. Um, she was a blonde, beautiful dog. And there's not much, it's almost like a glorified prison life when you're deployed.

SPEAKER_00 36:25

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 36:25

You know, you wear the same thing, eat at the same place. Yeah. At any rate, um, and you're under attack. There wasn't a whole lot to do in the spare time. So um our our hooch or the place where we lived wasn't too far away from the dog, the dog compound. Um, and so um my mom would send me dog treats and we go over there and you know, play with the dogs and whatever. And the one time when we were walking away, I had mentioned to Mike, I was like, you know, that's such a pretty name, Sonia. You know, I I I I really like that name, and he did too. So well, there you go. Yeah, it was nice. No arguments. The only argument we had is I wanted Sonia and S O N J A, like the you know, European way. Right. So he won he won the battle. It's Sonia S O N Y A. Got a compromise.

SPEAKER_00 37:19

There you go. There you go. And then um, if you don't mind my asking, so when did your you and your husband actually split split up?

SPEAKER_01 37:25

Oh, yeah, no, not at all. Um 20 uh 12, 12, 14, 14, 2014. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 37:36

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 37:37

Yeah. Just as a veteran, um, you know, and you know, I I get my primary here in Ann Arbor, and I have a doctor on the seventh floor, and I'm okay talking about that because um it's you know, I don't think you can go through a war zone and not have some sort of change. Um, and that's a hard thing to deal with, especially if you've had hardships in your regular civilian life. Yeah, so you have that on top, and you know, uh people only have so much. I feel like I have I feel like my limit is pretty high, but you know, thankfully I have recognized where my limit is that I'm there. Um, but uh unfortunately Mike did not. So he served in Afghanistan before I met him, and then we served together in um Iraq, and he just he's got work to do.

SPEAKER_00 38:34

Yeah, yeah. Fair enough. Fair enough. So it's you and the kids, um, and uh my mom.

SPEAKER_01 38:42

My mom is like the dad, okay, which kind of stinks because you know, she's doesn't really get to do the grandma role as much, but um, thank God for her. Otherwise, that I mean I have to work full-time. I'm it financially and physically. I'm it. Um, I'm grateful for my job. Um, but like I said, it takes its toll, you know, working full time. And um during COVID, my um my dad, um he was on his way to an AA meeting. He'd been recovered alcoholic since my um sister died back in '99. And he was on his way to a meeting at Garden City Park and um was hit while he was riding his bicycle. And he's a motorcyclist, so he was in the right, but it doesn't really matter after the fact.

SPEAKER_02 39:34

Right.

SPEAKER_01 39:35

So thankfully, at least, you know, he didn't he didn't suffer. It was instant, you know, hitting, hitting death, and the guy stopped and whatever. But um, it was a tough time because uh COVID shut the schools down. My mom is not a mourning person on top of losing her husband, and she'd already lost, you know, my sister, her daughter. And so she's coming over trying to help the kids online. And back then, Octavian was only in like second grade, I think. Like, oh, what a nightmare. Ugh, we've made it through some stuff.

SPEAKER_00 40:11

They got the family though.

SPEAKER_01 40:13

Oh, I I tell my mom all the time I could not do it without her. No way. No, I would be doing it somewhere, not not as well as it is here.

SPEAKER_00 40:24

Well, that's that's good that you have her then. Yes, yeah. So, uh, what kind of nursing do you do at the VA?

SPEAKER_01 40:30

I'm a float nurse. So I kind of like um probably back from when I did home care, I like a dynamic situation. I don't like going to the same place every day. I like a little bit of a mix. Um, I like I love people. Um, but you know, there's some people, some coworkers that are more difficult to work with. So the nice thing is, is I don't get involved in politics because I'm never in the same place for long enough. So I see a little bit of everyone and some people I miss seeing them, but uh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 41:00

You don't have to get involved in their drama.

SPEAKER_01 41:02

That's right. That's the case. That's right. And I'm always like extra. So for the most part, um, people appreciate that. The hard part about being a float nurse, though, is that when you've got patients that have been there for a while and they're difficult patients or heavy, the regular floor staff is like, oh, the float nurse is here. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 41:23

Here's all the fun stuff today. Uh-huh. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:25

Uh-huh. Here's the admission. Yeah. Mm-hmm.

The Message She Leaves Behind

SPEAKER_00 41:29

So we've covered a lot. Um, is there anything we haven't talked about that you wanted to make sure that we talked about during the conversation?

SPEAKER_01 41:36

I made some notes. I feel like you asked all the right questions. Um, I feel like we talked about all of it.

SPEAKER_00 41:48

So then, really, I just have one question left for you. Uh, and that is, you know, someone watching this or listening to this 100 years from now, when neither one of us wrote. Right. What, you know, what message would you have for them? What would you like them to take away from our conversation today and and really your life and the way you lived it?

SPEAKER_01 42:07

Um, to do the best that you can and to care about other people, um, regardless of the boxes you check and you know, the things you acquire in life, you know, be a good human, take care of other people, um, pay attention to other people. Like, even just standing in line at the grocery store. If someone is in, you know, a scooter and they're having trouble putting their groceries on the belt, like help them, you know, basic stuff.

SPEAKER_00 42:36

Yeah. Be a good human. I really like that. All right. Well, thanks, Jessica, for taking time out today to sit and talk with me. Thank you. I really appreciate it.

SPEAKER_01 42:45

Oh, me too. Thank you, Belle.

SPEAKER_00 42:47

You're welcome.