Joining the Army!

Now that work & family know my career plans, I can share them here on my blog. After 5 years with the USOC, I have decided to move on to the next adventure. Ten years after being discharged from active duty in the U.S. Navy, I have the opportunity to put my nutrition skills to use for active duty Soldiers. In a couple of weeks, I will be commissioned as a Captain in the U.S. Army and will start Officer Basic Leadership training in San Antonio, TX on January 4. As our troops are enduring long tours in arduous conditions, I feel an obligation to do my part to make sure that they are provided with every possible edge for optimal performance. Though a small contribution, I feel that what I've learned in the athletic arena can be of great use to our men and women in uniform. I didn't make this decision lightly; I've mulled this choice over quite a bit for the last couple of years and feel very comfortable that this is the right move for me at this point in my life. Obviously, the opinions of my family & friends weigh heavily in my decision process, so it was an easy choice once I realized EVERYONE supported this career move.

For those of you who know me well, it's no secret that I've missed my military days. Not just "missed" in a nostalgic kind of way, but more of a feeling that I wasn't quite done yet. I attempted to go back into the Navy as an Aerospace Physiologist after finishing my advanced degrees, but I was promptly informed that at the age of 35, I was too old for the program. Unenthused by the thought of working strictly as an RD in a hospital, I didn't think there were any other options for me until I met Ann, an Army COL at a nutrition conference a couple of years ago. It was then that I realized that my expertise could be put to use while wearing a uniform.

And so, at the ripe old age of 40, I knew it was now or never to confront the lingering feeling that my time serving in the military was unfinished business. One of my only fears in life is to get into my 80s and look back and regret that I didn't do something; that I didn't take advantage of an opportunity that presented itself. Granted, some of the things I've done I certainly have no desire to ever do again, but I am the person I am right now because I had those experiences. I can only hope that I will be happy with the person I become after this new experience!

Long story short (kind of), forgive me for lapses in correspondances as I scramble to fulfill commitments and tie up loose ends at work, pack up my life here in San Diego and get this body ready for military physical fitness standards! Good thing standards are age and gender adjusted! Stay tuned, I'm sure there are some great stories coming up. . .