Social work student Noah Gondick writes about Dr. Kimberly Schave, who served in the United States National Guard.
Note: This story is one story in a series of veteran stories written by CUAA social work students.
By Noah Gondick
Dr. Kimberly Schave, Assistant Professor of Accounting for the School of Business Administration, was part of the National Guard. Her role in the National Guard was that of a Military Police Officer (MPO) in the 323rd military police company in Toledo, Ohio.
During basic training, she was a leader of a platoon full of women. Dr Schave shared that she really enjoyed the sense of family and the sisterhood that she experienced. She also loved the patriotism that the troop had. One of the challenges that she experienced was how hard it was to communicate with her fiancé and family. Since the technology we have today wasn’t available then, they had to write letters. Soldiers had to be careful what they write to avoid sending secrets and sensitive material. On the plus side- she was able to plan her wedding by letter.
Since she was an MPO, she carried a M-16 rifle, nightstick, and cuffs. The role is similar to a police officer you see in town, but slightly different. There would be patrols around local towns and she would encounter domestic disturbances or children that were left alone and needed help. One experience she had was when there was a suspicious man near the military border. The man did not mean any harm and was very apologetic. They escorted him off military grounds but he stopped to apologize profusely again.
Dr. Schave offers a piece of advice for anyone who is considering going into the military. Her advice is that you will need to have a strong sense of duty, a healthy work ethic, and be prepared to be physically and mentally challenged for the important roles that you will be filling.
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