I joined the Navy at 17 and after boot camp was sent to serve on a destroyer out of Hawaii. When I arrived, 10 of us lined up on the deck and a young officer started down the line and asked each of us what type of work we did in high school. The first said he worked in a restaurant and the officer replied, “You are a cook.” The next said he worked on lawns and painted houses and the officer said he was a boatswain’s mate and would be cleaning, chipping, and painting the ship. I watched everything going on and learned in a hurry not to tell him I worked as a caddy in a grocery store carrying out sacks of food. I said I did not work but took a lot of shop classes in school and he said I would go to the repair division. Learning and thinking fast changed my entire life and knowledge.

When I joined America’s Credit Union, the very same thing happened. My whole life opened up when I asked the right questions and learned about finances. I learned financial responsibility and became debt free for the rest of my life. I volunteered and became a member of the board of directors for the same reason I joined the military: to protect my country and support the American way of life and freedom.

Military experience teaches you how to be a team player and look out for others. You learn in the military nothing is more wonderful than passion and the knowledge of how to survive.

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