From Army brat to Army reporter: photojournalist serves out of uniform | Article

Kindergarten introduction questionnaire circa 2005 – Favorite color? “Red, white and blue.” Favorite song? “’American Soldier’ by Toby Keith.” What do you want to be when you grow up? “I want to be in the Army, just like my mommy.”

This was my introduction to the Lynnville Elementary School kindergarten class after moving there halfway through the year. Who knew the last question would be almost prophetic close to 20 years later?

Think of a time you remember realizing you knew what you wanted to do with your life. For me, there were constant signs.

I don’t remember missing my mom when she was deployed, because I was only 4, but I do remember sitting in Humvees at Camp Atterbury with her in the middle of the night while she finished her work.

I don’t remember seeing my dad at every soccer game growing up, but I do remember often being ‘boss for a day’ after school at Field Maintenance Shop 6 (FMS 6) in Evansville, Indiana.

I also remember a lot of sleepovers at Nana and Papaw’s, or Papa and Grandma’s or Great Grandma’s; childcare was a team effort when mom and dad were deployed.

With four kids and two Soldiers in the Family at the time, we were lucky in a lot of ways. Moving within Indiana – to Lynnville and then back to Scottsburg four years later – was the most moving we had to do following their deployments. Mom completed her Enlisted Separation Process in 2008 to take care of us kids, and dad put double to triple the miles on every car he has owned since then to keep us from having to move constantly.

Did we miss our friends and family when we moved? Of course, but for the most part, we adjusted. We made new friends during various summers spent at YMCA Camp Carson for military week, in Princeton, Indiana and during FMS6 holiday parties. My siblings and I would even camp in the backyard with nothing but each other and some MREs.

We were an Army Family through and through.

For as long as I can remember, the Army has been one of the largest parts of my life and one of the greatest passions in my heart. Along with my love of the Army, however, I also developed a love for photography.

In 8th grade, I got my first camera in time for the proverbial class trip to Washington D.C. Then I tripped at the tomb of Robert Todd Lincoln in Arlington National Cemetery and broke said camera. I had to use my mom’s camera for the rest of the trip. By the end of the trip, I advanced my plans from, “I want to be in the Army, just like my mommy,” to, “I want to be a combat photographer for the Army.”

My first step in kickstarting my combat camera dream was in high school photojournalism class. Shortly into the curriculum, I found that I preferred the journalistic creativity of newspapers, so for the next three years I served as a staff member of our school paper. Over my tenure, I held positions as a staff writer and photographer, and the photo editor and feature editor, learning everything I could before leaving for college.

In the fall of 2021, I stepped into my photojournalism class at Ball State University and heard a guest speaker describe my dream internship.

“You want to tell the Army story?” she asked us. Yes. “You want to experience Army training aspects?” Yes. “You want to learn more about content creation than ever before in just four months?” Yes. Yes. Yes.

I soon found out she was describing the U.S. Army Cadet Command public affairs internship program that covers Cadet Summer Training every year.

I searched for the application but didn’t find it until the deadline had passed. I was devastated. Then, the internship program director, visited BSU to recruit interns for CST 2022.

I was ecstatic when I found out they accepted me.

During my time at CST, I learned more than ever about the proper structure of the Army, multimedia journalism and what some of the myriads of acronyms my parents had spouted my whole life actually meant.

I loved the work so much that I returned to Fort Knox for coverage of 7th Brigade’s Ranger Challenge in the fall of ’22, then again for CST ’23 and again for the first JROTC National Raider Challenge held at Fort Knox in the fall of ’23.

Like my time at CST, most of my best memories have been associated with the Army; I wouldn’t trade them for the world. It’s simply an extension of all the things I loved about growing up as an Army brat.

Some people look at Army Families and see struggles they can sometimes face in support of the mission, but I for one am thankful for every adjustment that I had to make over the years because it shaped the person I am today.

I’ve also learned that a life in the service isn’t for everyone, but a life of service can be. If you love the Army but don’t want to wear the uniform, there are other ways. Take me, for instance. As of about five months ago, I now work as a civilian employee at Fort Knox doing what I love – journalism. I get to take photos, videos and write stories about those who serve or have served.

If I had not learned to make friends so easily, or be inquisitive of people I have never met, I probably wouldn’t be a reporter now. If I had not been immersed in the Army for almost my whole life, I probably wouldn’t have the drive and ability to adapt to any situation.

I am proud to be an Army brat.

Growing up, I proudly announced that I was the daughter of two Soldiers. Over the past five years, I proudly announced that my dad is the Indiana Command Chief Warrant Officer. Now, I proudly proclaim that I am fortunate in getting to do what I love day in and day out, at the place I have learned to call home for the past two years.

Allow me to reintroduce myself – Favorite color? “Green.” Favorite song? “’Travelin’ Soldier’ by The Chicks.” What do you want to be when you grow up? “A multimedia reporter for Fort Knox News, exactly where life led me …”

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