Soldier first.
Recruiter second.

Signed up in high school

I enlisted while still in high school as a network technician (25N Nodal Network Systems Operator-Maintainer). I earned a $5,000 enlistment bonus. Signal work is the Army's network. It was the start of everything below.

Takeaway: you can start the process while still in high school.

Benning, then Gordon

Basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia, August to November 2017. I started as an E-1 (Private). Then came job school (AIT, Advanced Individual Training) at Fort Gordon, Georgia, through May 2018. I made E-2 (Private) along the way.

Takeaway: basic training comes first, then job school.

Fort Bragg, 50th ESB

My first duty station was the 50th Expeditionary Signal Battalion at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. I made E-3 (Private First Class) six months in.

Takeaway: this is what a first duty station looks like.

Picked for the pilot

In October 2018 the Army picked my unit to test a new field network system (ESB-E, built around the Scalable Nodal Network). I trained two weeks on equipment almost nobody had touched. Then came the first field test that November, run with an air defense unit (3-4 ADA).

Takeaway: some units test gear before anyone else uses it.

First test overseas

January to February 2019: the first test of the SNN outside the continental United States (OCONUS), run with U.S. forces in Europe (EUCOM) in Israel. I made E-4 (Specialist) in the same stretch, eighteen months after enlisting.

Takeaway: the job can take you overseas early.

Saber Guardian

May to July 2019: the first company-level test of the SNN, during Operation Saber Guardian 2019. One exercise, four countries: Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Romania.

Takeaway: one exercise can span four countries.

The COVID year

The exercises stopped. My unit was ordered to stay home. The Army went quiet until 2021, same as everywhere else.

Takeaway: plans change, even in uniform.

My son

My son was born in July 2021. The Army gave me twelve weeks of paternity leave to be there for it. It is one of the benefits I talk about from experience, not from a chart.

Takeaway: family leave is a real benefit, not just a line in a chart.

Poland

The updated SNN arrived in late 2021. My unit trained on it through October. In January 2022 I went to Poland to support allies. I stayed through May.

Takeaway: training at home leads to missions abroad.

Sergeant in five years

I graduated the Basic Leader Course in July 2022. I made E-5 (Sergeant) in five years, from an E-1 start.

Takeaway: this is what pay raises and promotions look like in the first five years.

The recruiting packet

I dropped a recruiting packet in 2023. I finished the Army Recruiting Course in January 2024. I started recruiting in May 2024.

Takeaway: recruiting is a job you apply for inside the Army.

37 and counting

Since May 2024 I have enabled 37 people to enlist. My reason for picking recruiting: I love helping people when they need it most. I love enabling them to improve themselves and their quality of life. I hold CompTIA A+ and Security+ certifications, plus hazardous materials (HAZMAT) certifications. I recruit hardest for Cyber, Medical, Aviation, and the Trades. My plan is to keep recruiting for a while and help as many people as I can. After that, I want to join the Army Reserve, work a government job, and set my family up for the long term.