by Maggie O'Leary

Created on: February 28, 2009

I spent the first four years of my military career on active duty in the United States Army. After my enlistment ended, I chose not to re-enlist. I left the Army and moved back home with my husband and children. I enjoyed my civilian freedom for about six months, and decided that I missed the military and was ready to go back. I called several recruiters, and did some comparison shopping. At that time, it was peacetime, and the Marine Corps wasn't taking prior service from other branches. My husband was a career Navy man, and told me enough Navy stories that I knew that I didn't want to join the Navy. I wasn't too keen on going back to the Army, so I called an Air Force recruiter, and decided that the Air Force was where I needed to be.

I joined the Air Force right before 9-11. I was assigned to a great fighter wing, and was learning a lot about the Air Force way of life. Things are extremely different in the Air Force than they were in the Army. Life was going great, and then 9-11 happened. Things changed, but it wasn't bad change. I worked round-the-clock for about three days, helping out as our fighter aircraft were sent to Washington DC to guard the skies from further attacks. While no one ever wants something like that to happen, I was glad to know that I had received quality training and was ready for just about anything.

After 9-11, things got back to the new version of normal, and life went on for about four years. Then Hurricane Katrina happened. I was sent to New Orleans about two days after the hurricane, and I stayed there for a month, helping the hurricane victims, and writing articles and news releases for military publications. As much as I hated the hurricane, I was honored to be able to help my fellow citizens.

In 2007, I was once again called upon to help the citizens of the United States, after the tornado disaster in Greensburg, Kansas. I was on the scene the day after the tornado hit. I helped look for survivors, helped people find shelter and the basic necessities of life, and wrote newspaper articles about the tragedy. I also had the great honor of being able to meet the President of the United States, President George Bush, and have my picture taken with him on the courthouse square in Greensburg.

Shortly thereafter, I was deployed to a location in Southwest Asia, where I served for a period of time. Not only did I get to serve my country and help protect our nation's freedoms, I also got to learn a lot about other cultures, and see more of the world. I learned a lot, and got to give back to the country that I love.

In October 2009, I will celebrate 12 years of military service, and eight years of service in the United States Air Force. I look back and think of how blessed I am to have had such a great military career. While I will be eligible for retirement in about eight years, I hope to stay on longer. I can't imagine life without the Air Force, and enjoy serving my country.

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