As it pertains to the military, my biggest teachable moment would have been basic training. I learned so much about myself and not giving up even when situations were tough. I learned I had so much more to myself than I knew I had in me.

When I was in Desert Storm, my unit lost a couple of team members. One was a doctor/husband/father, and the other was a young woman soldier. I still think of them often and know how much they are missed by their families. I appreciate military members not just for a day or a month, but all year long – knowing they are willing to sacrifice whatever is needed to defend and protect our country.

Tubthumping by Chumbawamba. I’m a big Tampa Bay Buccaneers football fan and this song was always played during the games. The lyrics talk about no matter how many times you get knocked down; you always need to get back up. Life is full of challenges, and you can’t let them knock you down.

My family. I love talking about my husband and my kids and now my granddaughter. My husband and I have been married for 28 years. We go to our cabin in Maine – where we’ve taken our kids every year. They grew up there and now look forward to going alone with their families.

I’ve worked in Human Resources for almost 30 years and still find my favorite part of the job to be helping employees at the sites I support. I had an employee one time contact me and was threatening suicide and I was able to talk them down. While we were speaking, I called for an ambulance and the paramedics were able to get to them. In addition, they enrolled into a program through our employee assistance program. I was glad that they reached out to me. This employee was just at wits end, and they appreciated the assistance. Having someone tell me they appreciate my help gives me a lot of pride in what I do every day.

The military is a big thing. A lot of people didn’t know that I was in the military. I don’t talk about it very often. I mean, while it was a great experience, I think it’s just a personal choice to offer that information.

While I appreciate the gratitude people show by thanking me for my military service, honestly, it makes me uncomfortable. I joined the military because I wanted a sense of purpose, to be part of something bigger than myself, and to feel like I was contributing to something good. The military helped me broaden my perspectives, which gave me the opportunity to understand and interact with a wider range of people than I would have if I had not joined. I��m very proud of my time in the military and honored to have been a part of it.