Crystal Gipson:  

itary When I graduated I was scared to death of what basic training was going to be but it was kind of like high school with a lot harder gym class. Keep your mouth shut and do what you're told and it's over before you know it. After that was training for my job. That was fun too. Living in the dorms, night classes, early morning run, it was pretty easy as long as you kept your things neat and put away and did your homework. Piece of cake. I loved the military. I loved my job. I was a weapons troop. I loaded the bombs, missiles, and the machine gun on the F-16 Fighting Falcon. I even got to fly it once over the strip in Las Vegas. There is nothing like being on the flight line sitting under a jet that costs more than your entire whole family will make in a lifetime and then gettting to launch it out. The military was wonderful for me. I got to see so many things that I would have never thought I would see, the running of the bulls in Spain, I walked through castle ruins in Turkey, I got a tan in the biggest sandbox in the world (Saudi Arabia), I would spend usually between 2-4 months a year in Vegas. It was great. I loved every minute of it. I met some of the most amazing people and acquired some wonderful friendships. Then it came time to choose between that family and one of my own. You see I was gone usually anywhere from 2-9 months a year. So for now I stay home with my boys and suck up every minute of time that they will spend with me while mom is still considered cool! But those four years were something that I will be able to tell my grandkids about.