In my last post (wow so long ago), I mentioned that I would be applying to voluntarily separate from Active Duty due to childbirth. I wanted to share my experience to help any other mamas struggling to figure out what to do after little one is born.

Why I Decided to Separate

Getting pregnant was not something I had planned (at least for a while). In tech school, I had met someone and we started dating. One thing led to another and two months into seeing each other, I became pregnant. We made the decision to get married because with us both being in the military, we wanted to make sure we’d be able to be together or at the very least stationed in the same state. My husband and I have been through hell and back the past year and a half but we love each other and now have a beautiful baby girl. My husband decided shortly after I left tech school that he was going to transfer in to the Army. He had been trying to retrain but due to policy changes he missed his chance, so after almost five years in the Air Force, he felt the Army was his only chance to pursue his dream job. At the time, I was stationed in Florida and he was in Texas so the long distance thing really sucked (especially being pregnant and hormonal LOL). When he separated from the Air Force he went on terminal leave and moved to FL with me until he left for Army Basic Training (LAME). The Army let him go on leave so he could be with me for the birth of our daughter in December. Fortunately, I was being induced due to my high blood pressure so we had a set date. I had a lot of health issues and scares throughout my pregnancy due to preeclampsia. It was a terrible feeling to not have my husband or family close by and I was constantly worried what if something happens and I have nobody. After having the baby, life was a struggle. Adjusting to a baby is no joke. I struggled so much that I decided to head back home to Massachusetts for 2 of the 3 months of my maternity leave so I could be with my family, as my husband had to return to training. During this time of change, I decided that I needed to research my options. I knew that being stationed with my husband was going to be difficult and I didn’t want to be apart, I needed our family together. I knew that the Air Force had changed their policy so that you could separate either before you have your baby or after (you have 12 months after the baby is born to decide). I really did not want to leave the Air Force. I worked so hard to join and I couldn’t just give it all up. So as many military members do, I went to Reddit for advice. I found out that I could separate and then Palace Front to the Reserves. Palace Front is a little bit different than Palace Chase- Palace Front adds a Guard/Reserves service commitment after you have separated to prevent a break in service. Palace Chase is when you leave your contract early to go to the Guard/Reserves- you are eligible to apply after you have served half of your contract. This ultimately gave me the best of both world; more time to be a mommy and be together with my family, and also still being able to serve part time.

Applying for Separation

First thing was first, I texted my supervisor to let him know my plan. I didn’t want to catch anyone off guard. I had mentioned possibly separating and going to the Guard or Reserves before I left for my maternity leave, so when I texted him it was no surprise. Applying for separation was fairly easy. With my handy dandy CAC reader, I logged onto vMPF and went through their Separations application. I had to include the reasoning why I wanted to separate and my daughter’s birth certificate as a supporting document. I made sure to include in my reasoning the hardships I was facing being away from family and raising the baby alone. I also included my goal of pursuing higher education to become a nurse while serving part time whether that be through the Guard or Reserves. After submitting my application, I had to wait for my Squadron Commander to approve or disapprove. I honestly had one of the best Commanders ever so I consider myself very lucky to have Leadership that truly cares about their people. My application was approved within a week. After your Commander approves it, it makes it’s way up to the Base Commander. My Base Commander approved it another week later. Typically, applications are not approved this fast from what I’ve heard. I’ve heard that sometimes people wait months before they are approved and sometimes they are even disapproved.

Guard or Reserves?

After I decided that separating and Palace Front was the best option for me, I needed to decide between the Guard and Reserves. I initially thought definitely Guard, but during my out-processing I had a mandatory appointment with the Reserve recruiter at my base. He asked me if I had planned to go back to school, my answer: yes. Going back to school and becoming a nurse was one of the big reasons I wanted to join the Air Force. He told me that by going Reserves, I would still be eligible for tuition assistance (TA). Additionally, the Guard can get activated at any time for any state emergencies- he told me that with the Reserves, I would be notified of a deployment in advance, saving me the trouble of having to withdraw from classes on a whim. I had let him know that my husband was active duty Army and he also let me know that it is easier to transfer to a new unit wherever he gets orders to than it is with the Guard. I was sold. I filled out some paperwork he had sent me and he helped me narrow my options down to two units by my husband’s base. One of the two reached out to me requesting EPRs but since I was only an E-3, I didn’t have any so I sent him some letters of recommendation. They ended up deciding to take me on and I got to keep my AFSC.

Reserve Life So Far

I separated from active duty on the 1st of May and have been a Reservist since the 2nd. Because of COVID, we have been having our drill (UTA) virtually. So far, it has been great despite not getting to meet my new squadron. I was promoted to E-4 a couple weeks after separating (Reserves promote SUPER fast). I was really excited about that because joining at an older age, I’ve always felt like I’ve been treated based off of my rank and not my actual age and life experience. Now that I meet rank requirements, I can also sign up to volunteer as a victim advocate for the SAPR program on base- something I’ve wanted to do after becoming a teal rope in tech school. I love the flexibility that serving part time in the Reserves gives me. I can go to school using the same TA I would be getting active duty, work a civilian job that pays me better, have extra income from my drill weekends, and finally be together with my little family.

If you or anyone you know is pregnant/just had a baby and are looking for options as far as the military goes, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions you may have about this process. I’d also like to add that with the pregnancy separation, it doesn’t have to be your first baby- it can be your second, third, etc. Being a mama can be overwhelming, especially if you don’t have your support system with you. I’m here to help and support you in any way that I can.

I am officially an operational member of the world’s greatest Air Force! Just last week, I finally completed Phase 2 of the 4N0 AFSC training and was awarded my occupation badge. For those of you who don’t know, Phase 2 of the 4N0 program is basically clinical rotations at a hospital. You get the chance to work in multiple different clinics/departments to include the Emergency Department, Intensive Care, Family Health, Labor and Delivery and many more. You have a packet of tasks you must accomplish and get signed off by preceptors in each department. Some tasks include starting an IV, giving intramuscular injections, performing an EKG/ECG and collecting blood specimens. The 4N0 scope of practice allows you to do so much more than a civilian EMT’s scope allows. My mother is a nursing school professor at a prestigious nursing school and she’s told me that they don’t even teach IVs in nursing school, which I find fascinating. I am so relieved to be done and am so excited to finally “begin” my career in the Air Force.

Now that I will have a lot more free time, I plan on posting on a more regular basis and FINALLY getting to the YouTube videos that I’ve been promising for months. In the meantime, please comment below any questions you may have about the 4N0 career field, what tech school is like or even BMT:

Quick Update: I graduated Phase One of 4N0 Tech School last month (April 23) YAY! I am currently in Phase Two at a different location- Phase Two is essentially clinical rotations in a hospital. So far it’s been a huge learning experience and very hands on. I have about two more weeks left and then I will be going home on leave and then to my first duty station!

I’ve been so busy I haven’t had time to post much or record any new videos on my YouTube channel but I promise that once I start to have a little more free time I will tell you guys everything!

I’m just going to go ahead and say it: Zero week was and will be the WORST week of BMT in the history of BMT. There- I said it.

A lot of people say they don’t remember much of Zero week- I made sure to write down what I could while it was happening so that I could go ahead and blog about it later. Don’t ask me how I got away with this because I am not entirely sure (LOL). Here’s the gist of it:

MEPS/Getting to Lackland

So I will start with waking up the morning of November 19th, 2018. I woke up feeling a giant mix of emotions: nervous, excited, scared, happy- you name it, I was feeling it. I had my bags packed and was to drive up to the MEPS hotel. I had my mother drive me up and she ended up getting a room and staying. My brother, his girlfriend, my mother and I went out to dinner for what would be the last time for a short while. I kept it low-key that night and remember feeling like I couldn’t eat much because I didn’t want to be over at my weigh in the next morning. My roommate at the hotel was a girl heading to Navy boot camp so we shared the nervousness. I asked her what her job was and she told me she was going to be a Corpsman and that she would be going to Tech School at Fort Sam Houston. I told her that’s where I was hopefully going, as I was Open General hoping for Aerospace Medical Service (Which I in fact did get the job I wanted and am now at Fort Sam, with my Navy friend! Funny how that worked out). The next morning I was up early as heck. It was like any of my other times going to MEPS, we ate breakfast downstairs and then hopped on the bus. When we got to the MEPS building we went through the same routine. They did a final physical exam just to make sure nothing had changed and I signed my official contract and some more paperwork. My mother came to watch me officially swear in and say goodbye. We cried together and it was definitely a tough moment for me. She left shortly after and I waited with the other shippers for our bus to the airport. I had to fly solo despite having a few guys shipping to Lackland with me, so that sucked. I met some more Air Force peeps when I got to my layover which was nice. When I arrived to San Antonio, I didn’t really feel nervous. I felt ready to get this sh*t over with. I ended up getting off of the plane and heading straight to the food court- which was pretty much closed. There were HUNDREDS of trainees just waiting around. I ended up finding five or six of my friends from the Group Me I was in before I shipped out. For those of you who don’t know what Group Me is, it’s basically a chat group app. I was in a BMT Shippers group on Facebook and it was the thing to do- to make a Group Me and get to know other people shipping out the same date as you. So my Group Me ended up with around 50 people and we had chatted for a few months before shipping out. Almost 10 of them ended up being in my flight which was awesome. I ended up seeing a handful of them throughout my BMT journey and even more from the group here at Tech School. Anyways, I snagged two of my Group Me pals and we checked in with the Sgt that was taking everyone’s names and we had a seat on the benches. When the next bus came it was our time to board. The three of us were so nervous but so excited. The bus driver nicknamed “Coach”, I will never forget him. He gave the most inspirational, motivational speech I had ever heard in my 25 years of living and it was EXACTLY what all of us needed in that moment. We pulled up to the PRC (Pfingston Reception Center) which is basically a giant auditorium. Surprisingly there was not much yelling, just a lot of “HURRY UP LETS GO”. We all piled into the auditorium and it was pretty much dead silent, and awkward. Every couple hours or so, they would have a list of names up on the projector and that was your flight. We got to the PRC around 10pm (I think) and we didn’t get our flight until probably around 2 or 3am. After we had our flight together, they brought us to a room where they issued us our backpacks (Backpack Initiative- has some toiletries, and other necessary items) and our Apecs jackets. After that, we were told to sit in a line in the hall. It felt like we sat there for an hour. Then, the moment we all were waiting for: Our MTI walked in to pick us up. He was every trainee’s nightmare honestly. This was where all the yelling came in. He yelled and screamed at us until 5am, which was when we finally go to goto sleep. Before we went to sleep, we went to our dormitory- we got lucky and lived in Disneyland. We went to our wall lockers, figured out our beds, took our showers (which wasn’t as awkward as I imagined but was SOOOO cold) and finally went to sleep. A lot of us were hoping they’d have mercy on us and let us sleep, but boy were we wrong. They woke us up at what would become our new wake up time: 5:45am. Yup, 45 minutes of sleep.

The First Week: Zero Week

The first day of BMT was the LONGEST day of my life, no exaggeration. We started our day with chow. The MTIs were scary as hell. Here I was thinking Texas would be warm, It was cold as hell. Pro Tip: Grab two waters or get your ass chewed. We had our first uniform issue within the first two days which was nice because we looked ridiculous with these huge Apecs jackets and civilian clothes. It screamed “I am new”. There was LOTS of marching. We also got a BX run and our pay cards were issued. Dinner we got protein bars which was a nice treat. The rest of the week was appointments and briefings. We had our first inspection, got to call home and read our script with our address. After that we locked up our civilian luggage and turned in our cellphones. The second day was when we had urinalysis, blood draws, immunizations and what not. I believe the third day we went back for the peanut butter shots- I’m allergic to penicillin so they gave me azithromycin to take twice every Saturday. We also met our other MTI who was also a male day two. By day three, the chow hall was a less scary place which made it easier to eat- probably also because it was Thanksgiving. We had a second BX run zero week which I heard was not typically the case but hey we were happy to be away from the dorms any chance we got at that point. The biggest lesson I learned that week was DO NOT write letters. They will find them and they will tear you apart. I specifically wrote in my notes “Saturday got yelled at for having a letter written in my notebook”- I am laughing hysterically at this now LOL. Oh you also are assigned your flight “jobs” (basically chores). I got picked to be the 4th Element Leader, FANTASTIC.

Well that’s all I really have for Zero Week. If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them below or email me! I look forward to writing more the next coming weeks about the rest of my BMT experience.

I made it! I graduated Basic Military Training and boy does it feel amazing.

I graduated BMT January 18th 2019. As you can tell that was a few weeks ago. I have been so busy getting my life together and settling into Tech School life that I haven’t had a chance to blog. I have so much to say and plan on writing as much as my schedule allows these next few months. I also will be uploading some BMT specific vlogs on my YouTube channel as soon as I can. Three major things I want to say in this quick post are:

1. I got the job I wanted!!! If you’ve been following me you’d know I went in open general with civilian medical experience. Well I got Aerospace Medical Service (4N0X1)-my top pick! So I am now at Fort Sam for Tech School.
2. Two weeks into Tech School and I already know my first duty assignment! I won’t say exactly where BUT I will say that it was on my “Dream Sheet” so I am psyched to say the least.
3. If you are getting ready to ship out to BMT I just want to say don’t listen to what other people have to say about the experience- it is what YOU make of it.

Stay tuned!

7. MORE. DAYS.

I cannot even wait. I am so excited and the anticipation is killing me. I have already met around 40 people, all shipping on the same date as me- two of which are shipping from the same MEPS location! I can’t wait to meet my future brothers and sisters.

I just uploaded a YouTube video of what I’m bringing to BMT. Here is a complete list of all of the items:

• Duffle Bag (Checked Bag for liquids over 3.4oz)*
• Drawstring Bag (Carry On for important stuff)*
• 6oz Shampoo
• 6oz Conditioner
• Leave in Hair Serum
• 6oz Hair Gel
• 6oz Face Wash
• 2 Bars of Soap
• Soap Dish/Container
• Travel Size Sunscreen Lotion
• Travel Size Hand Sanitizer
• Bath Mitt (instead of loofah)
• Nail Kit
• Razor
• Eyebrow Razors
• Tweezers
• Deodorant
• Toothbrush
• Toothbrush Cover
• Toothpaste
• Hair Brush
• Hair Combs
• Bobby Pins
• Hair Elastics
• Hair Donut
• Makeup (For Graduation/Pics)
• Facial Wipes
• Feminine Wipes
• Pads (Sanitary Napkins)
• 6 Sports Bras
• 2 Padded Bras- One Black, One Nude
• 8 Pairs of Underwear
• 2 Pairs of Socks
• 2 Pairs of Spandex Shorts
• 3 T Shirts
• 2 Pairs of Pants
• Blouse (for Graduation Weekend)
• Closed Toe Shoes (for Graduation Weekend)
• Small Photo Album
• Watch
• Notebook
• Lint Roller
• Shoe Insoles
• Running Sneakers (with insoles)
• Binder with Important Documents (Birth Certificate, Social Security Card, Resume, Certifications, etc.)
• Immunization Records
• Other Important Documents such as Contract
• Driver’s License
• Debit Cards
• $20 Cash
• Cell Phone
• Cell Phone Charger

*I am planning on checking a bag (see YouTube video for more info)

It seems like a ton of stuff BUT it doesn’t look it when packed. Also I’d rather be over prepared than under. Most of the items I am personally packing will be provided by the Air Force through the backpack initiative. My recruiter let me know this tip: Anything you don’t used from your backpack initiative can be returned to the exchange/mini-mall and the money will be put back onto your card. If you want to see the official Air Force BMT Packing List and for more information on Air Force provided items click here.

NINE. TEEN. DAYS. Eeeeeeeek!

I am so excited. I am so nervous. I suck at push-ups and running still.

But…. I got this.

I’ve never wanted something so badly in life and cannot wait to officially be an Airman and make my friends and family proud af.

I still have to sell my car, pack my bag and hopefully get my running and push ups down before I leave. I’ve put together a binder with my certifications, transcripts, etc. to bring with me to BMT. This is especially important for me because I am going open general and will need these things when I goto job counseling. I also made a list of jobs I’m interested in and assignment location preferences so I don’t feel pressured and go in to this as prepared as possible. The jobs I’m interested in are listed below:

• 4NX01- Aerospace Medical Service
• 3E9X1- Emergency Management
• 4R031- Diagnostic Imaging
• 4A031- Health Services Management
• 1C331- Command Post

The first three are definitely my top three picks and in that order. If I get my first pick I will be over the mood ecstatic. If not, that’s still ok. The way I look at it I’m going to be a part of the world’s greatest Air Force. And that on its own is a huge accomplishment. Plus there are ways out of a job I don’t like such as the NECP- Nurse Enlisted Commissioning Program. Ultimately it’s a nursing school scholarship that upon completion allows you to commission as a Nurse Officer.

As far as assignment location preferences I’ve jotted down the following:

• Pope AFB, NC
• Seymour-Johnson AFB, NC
• Shaw AFB, SC
• Charleston AFB, SC
• Nellis AFB, NV
• Patrick AFB, FL
• Moody AFB, FL
• Langley-Eustis, VA
• Aaaaaand my only overseas one: Aviano, Italy.

I’ve heard so many things regarding the BMT Dream Sheet (The list of base preferences you make at BMT). I’ve heard it’s all crap and I’ve also heard of people getting their number one picks. So I’m just going to stay positive and hope I get one off of my list.

I’ve uploaded a new video on my YouTube channel- it’s super short and boring. But I will be doing two or three more videos covering the topics of the 15 days brief, my BMT packing list and the day I leave for BMT. I will also try to write a few blogs on these topics as well.

See you all soon!

Yup, you heard that right.

How am I feeling?

I’m anxious to leave, I’m excited, I’m a bit nervous. But mostly excited. I cannot wait to leave and start this journey. The anticipation is killing me.

What have I been up to?

• Working very part time just to pay my bills each month. I just gave my notice for the part time job I’ve been working, as I’ve gotten a new position as assistant store manager at a Halloween store. Super convenient because I can walk there from my house and I also won’t need to put in a notice because the store closes the first week of November.
• I’m also working on getting rid of a lot of my belongings and packing up my room. I just listed my car for sale so hoping someone scoops it up.
• I finally got my braces off!!
• Got 9 college credits for my EMT certification- I will make an entire post about this because I feel like more people should know about the program I did it through- which makes me eligible for E-2 when combined with the 18 college credits I already have.
• I’m going Monday to meet with my recruiter and to sign my job contract.

What am I doing to prepare myself?

I’m focusing on mental preparation because I feel this is what I will need most. I am going to Barre class three times a week which is helping me build strength. I am starting a running program this week since I have SLACKED on running. I downloaded an app that is supposed to help you run 5k in 8 weeks by running 30 mins, 3 days per week. I only have around 7 weeks left but hey anything will help at this point.

Within these next 7 weeks, I will post once per week. Topics will include packing for BMT, Fitness and more! If you have any questions thus far about anything, don’t hesitate to email me or comment below.

As I stare at the title of this blog post, I laugh a little inside because I am anything but fit at this moment. But hey- gotta start somewhere. I can’t say I’ve always been consistent with working out or eating healthy, and whenever I have been it’s either one or the other.

Back when I first started this whole process, I had heard about the Keto diet and decided to give it a go. I read countless articles and web pages about the diet and how to do it, etc etc. My first week I kept my carb intake at a strict 20g of carbs per day. Before this, I was eating 150g+ carbs per day. After week one and a scary hypoglycemic attack- I upped my carb intake because I needed to do what I felt was healthier for my body. I aimed for under 50g of carbs per day but stayed around 35/40g most days. I ended up losing 20lbs and meeting under goal weight in time for me to goto MEPS- all without exercise. While I didn’t follow strict Keto and did my own dirty version of it- it worked for me. After MEPS I’ve definitely been way more free with what I eat and I definitely need to go back to keeping track of my carb intake. I recently joined a new gym that offers classes and is very close to my house. Signing up for classes is also super convenient and done through an app on my phone. I feel like classes is something I need because there’s just that accountability. Right now I’m down in NC visiting my family for a couple of weeks but when I return home, I will be making some big lifestyle changes to prepare myself for BMT.

Healthy Eating

I’ve gained back around two pounds since falling off of the dirty keto wagon. While this isn’t a ton of weight, I will certainly be tracking my carb intake again to try to lose ten extra pounds before BMT. I plan on ordering at least five meals per week again through a local meal prep company that now offers a keto menu. Making breakfast and a quick lunch are usually easy for me to do, dinner I usually struggle with because by the time I end my day I’m just about ready to eat anything and everything in sight. I also am going to start eating three meals a day with two glasses of water at each meal- I hear this is how it’ll be at BMT so I want to be as prepared as possible by eliminating my snacking habits.

Fitness

My new gym has released their Fall class schedule and I’ve already drafted my own personal class schedule based on that. I’m going to aim for at least two cardio classes (cycling, zumba) and two strength training classes per week. In addition to my four classes per week, I’m going to start going to my local high school’s track once a week to run. Before every class I plan on running on the treadmill for 20 minutes (plus a five minute warm up and cool down). My biggest fear for BMT is the PT. Everyone has told me not to worry because they will work with you but I can’t help but worry. I’m hoping that the strength training classes will help me with my push ups and the cardio will help with my running.

Alright….. so if you read my Quick Ship Update, you know that I’ve been waiting on a new ship date and job since I was taken out for October 2nd- and I finally have one.

I will be shipping to BMT November 20th under a guaranteed General Aptitude job area (aka open general). I definitely have mixed emotional about the whole open general thing BUT I’m just going to have faith that everything will work out the way it’s meant to be. I’ve heard a lot of horror stories about recruits going in under open contracts and ending up with jobs that they hate. I’ve also heard a lot of reassuring stories about recruits ending up with medical jobs or jobs that they wanted. I’ve heard so many mixed things that I’m just going to have to go and find out myself. Fingers crossed this is how I will get the job I originally wanted- Aerospace Medical Service. I’ve also heard that going in with an open contract increases your odds at getting a medical job. Again, we’ll have to see. So I guess for the next few months I will be focusing on getting myself in shape the best I can to prepare myself for eight weeks down at Lackland. There’s also sooooo many other things I have to do- sell my car, pack up my room, pack for BMT; just to name a few ?