How are you connected to the military, and when?

 I have a more complicated but life-long association with the US military Here’s an overview for you to start on:

I’ve been mainly associated with the Navy through family and my own time in the Naval Sea Cadets as a teen, I was also married to a member of the Air Force and Air Force Reserves. 

I’ve been associated with the military since birth to the present day.

My father was a career naval pilot. Beginning in 1955 in Norfolk VI which is where I was born (June 1957). He did flight training there and at the next assignment in Pensacola FL.

My sister was born on this assignment. After pilot training, Dad went on board a number of ships so the early years were mainly with my mom.

Where were you stationed?

We were stationed at a number of locations: Lemoore CA, Sunnyvale CA and Oak Harbor Naval Air Station on Whidbey Island. While we were there the Vietnam war was raging and my father was sent out with his squadron to Vietnam on board a ship. This was 1968 and shortly after arriving off the coast of Vietnam he was shot down (October 13th 1968) and never recovered. Ten years after he was shot down we had him declared dead and had a ceremony at Arlington VI with full honors and a military burial.

Best tour of duty?

Although I wasn’t stationed there my favorite location was Wiesbaden as I loved being able to visit so many European cities the year I was located in Germany.

Love and romance in the military? Tell us about it.

A number of years later (1978) a budding romance happened with an Air Force Cadet which I later married. After leaving the Academy he was in the Reserves for six years.

We had an opportunity to work with the German Government in my early 20’s (1981) and lived in Wiesbaden spending time at the Army base there shopping and seeing movies in English.

After returning to the US we started a company which became a DOD contractor supplying high-tech products to a number of branches of the military

Do you have any other family members in the military?

My brother has been a career Navy man since his early 20’s stationed at  Barbers Point HI, Philippines, Japan, Lemoore CA, San Diego CA and a number of locations overseas for the Middle East conflicts. He has now retired from active duty but still works at Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego.

How did this change your life?

This obviously, profoundly changed all of our lives in my family. At that point my mother was looking for support for herself and our family so we moved next to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs CO as they had a Big Brother type program for MIA and KIA military families. This was my late Junior High and High School years. I spent every weekend of those years with Air Force Cadets and officers from the base. I also attended High School at Air Academy High which was located on base. Pretty much my life revolved around USAFA events seeing lots of concerts, watching football games and even meeting a number of US presidents there.

There are many incredible personal assets I’ve gained throughout my life and military affiliations. Discipline, respect, and honor are a few.

How do you answer the question, “Where are you from?”

My typical answer is everywhere and nowhere. I’ve lived all over the US and world. When forced to list a location (such as social media) I put Colorado as that was my Junior High, High School and college location.

What do you do now?

I’m a business and life coach for entrepreneurs. I love my work and sharing it with others. Radio shows, podcasts, books, articles, bolgs, vlogs and other means of sharing who I am and what I can offer is especially important to me.

Thank you, Karen, for sharing your story with us!