UNITED STATES NAVY VETERAN
I enlisted in the Delayed Entry Program during my senior year of high school. Entering service 11 days after my graduation, I had my 18th birthday during basic at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. After further training at Fort Lee, VA I was assigned to and served with HHC 4th AVN, 4th ID at Fort Carson, CO. With the fall of the Berlin Wall and the beginning of the end of the Cold War, I was released from duty and my reserve commitment as part of a service-wide build down at the end of July, 1990. Five days later Iraq invaded Kuwait and I missed potentially being part of Operation Desert Shield by the space of one long weekend.
I first sought help from the VA only recently as I had been led to believe that, due to my short term of service, I had no access to benefits. During a period of homelessness and unemployment I sought help anywhere I could think to look and found I had been misinformed. Since then the VA has been a huge help. They’ve provided the health care I needed and helped me find permanent housing. Without their aid I would not be the woman I am today. My goal now is to help other veterans to get assistance as I have.
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