USN Group 1
MMFA Sara Sanders, USN
“After high school, I wanted to do something different from all of my friends. I knew that I could prove to them and myself that I could follow through on things. I also wanted to make my Dad proud of me. He’s pro-military and I wanted him to be proud of my efforts. I would recommend women enlist. It makes you mentally stronger and you can prove you can handle working in a male dominant rate. At the end of the day, I am accomplished and it’s a good day.”
PO3/EN Brooke E. Hernandez, USN
“I enlisted in Louisville, Kentucky. I wanted to get out of Louisville and out of Kentucky. Job opportunities were slim for high school graduates, Most of my high school peers got knocked up and then got married and work at McDonalds for the rest of their life, I wanted more than that lifestyle. I wanted other skills. I wanted to travel and I wanted a job.”
ENFA Pamela Castro, USN
“A pivotal experience occurred when I came to my first ship. I had to live in the barge section because it that was the only open space, my being a female. The AC was on all the time. It couldn’t be turned off. I was back there freezing and all by myself. I was depressed. It was the worst first impression a sailor could ever have. I would recommend young women enlist. It teaches you a lot about yourself. You learn you are stronger than you or anyone else thought you were or could be.”
PO3/EN3 Maria Fe Theresa Antonio, USN
“I joined to fight for my daughter. I wanted custody of her. This provides a steady paycheck and now I’ve custody of her. When it’s my turn for WATCH, I tell myself I am WATCH and the lives of my shipmates are my responsibility. I am on WATCH so you all can sleep.”
PO3/MM3 Jaclyn Weiss, USN
“On my first deployment, we went to the Seychelles (Indian Ocean). It was a third world country and it made me appreciate what we have in America. We couldn’t drink the water; we had to buy it. AND Somali pirates shot at us with AK47’s from a wooden boat. We had to put tape on our names. It made the news, but we couldn’t tell anyone until we came home.”
