In the summer of 2012, with 5.5 years in the Utah National Guard and my initial contract winding down, I thought I was ready to leave the military.
But someone suggested I might just be in the wrong MOS—and they were right. I’d never considered that a job in the military could actually fit my personality. They pointed me toward public affairs.
At the time, there were no enlisted openings in the 128th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment—only an upcoming officer slot. After an interview with the commander and a short deliberation, I decided to go for it. I entered the Officer Candidate Program almost immediately.
The problem? I wasn’t ready.
Fresh off a divorce, my life was in chaos—physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, financially. That decision, I realized, was a rebound. Just two months in, I made the painful call to drop out.
But I had already signed a six-year extension, banking on becoming an officer. With that path gone, I returned to the 116th Engineers—and was met with cold shoulders. Dropping out of OCS tanked my reputation, and I felt it. For the next three years, I kept my head down and did my job.
In late 2015, an enlisted slot finally opened in the 128th MPAD. I transferred immediately—and I knew from day one that I’d found my place. The people were different. The culture was different. I was home.
Over the next few years, I produced some of the best video work the unit had seen. I had found my passion—and it didn’t stop with the military. Now I’m taking that talent and building something bigger.