Girl's Guide to the Military Series

Girl’s Guide to the Military is a ten-week series to help girls learn all they can about the military and to help them not only decide if the military is right for them but also help them build a strong foundation for the start of their military career. Week one starts with the stories of why women decided to join the military. And then we dive into topics focused on joining the military. We end with benefits and ways to prepare for a successful military career. Along with this series, there are more videos and advice on Girl’s Guide to the Military YouTube channel, and my book A Girl’s Guide to Military Service will be released in September 2022.

Girl's Guide to the Military

The series is set to begin on July 12th. New episodes will be added weekly. Join my email list so you don’t miss an episode, you will also get my free guide A Girl’s Guide to the Military

Girl’s Guide to the Military

Week 1: Why Join the Military

Why did you decide to join the military? This is a question I ask all my guests on the Women of the Military podcast to start the interview about their military service. I believe learning about why you joined the military is an open door to who you are and can help determine your path forward. Or at least it helps me as I begin to ask questions and learn the story of each woman who is brave enough to share their military experience. So this week to kick off my 10-week series focused on joining the military we are starting with why. I have pulled answers from some of my previous guests.

Week 2: Military Disqualifications

This week is week two of the Girl’s Guide to Military Service series. We are focusing in on things that can disqualify you from military service. Most often when people think of military disqualifications they think of medical disqualifications. But that is only one aspect of why people are not eligible to serve in the military. Besides covering the most common military disqualifications. I also talk to Tess Robinson about her experience in ROTC and how her military career ended before it began with a medical disqualification.

Week 3: Enlisting in the U.S. Military

What is the process of enlisting into the military? What do you have to do before heading off to Basic Training? While everyone’s experience looks a little different there are certain milestones that must happen. Even ways to help you prepare for military life. This episode will provide an overview of the process of joining the military when you enlist. It will also talk about things you can do to prepare for Basic Training. Finally, it will include an interview with Jamie before she headed off to Basic Training with the Navy. She talks about her journey to joining the military and how she felt about leaving for training as we recorded the interview a few days before she shipped out.

Week 4: All About Basic Training

This week is all about Basic Training. I’m sharing ten tips for Basic Training. These are things I wish I would have known before heading off to my Basic Training (called Field Training) along with how some things have changed in the past few years. Basic Training is meant to be tough. The military is working to break you back down and then build you back up into an Airman, Soldier, Marine, Sailor, Guardian, or Coast Guardsman. So let’s dive in and don’t forget to check out the full episode of the Women of the Military podcast, along with the advice shared in this post I also include an interview with Alison who had just finished Basic Training when the interview was recorded.

Week 5: Becoming an Officer in the U.S. Military

How do you become an officer in the military? This week I’m diving into the typical ways people become officers. That being said there are a lot of specialized programs. Make sure to talk to a recruiter to find the best option for you. I also included an interview with a cadet going through ROTC and a new 2d Lt who completed Army Officer training. You can also check out episode 151 with two cadets at West Point sharing their experiences.

Week 6: Education Benefits

This episode is focused on the Education benefits of the military. Specifically the U.S. Military. A lot of people know about the G.I. Bill. The GI Bill is a way to pay for college after your military service. It is a great benefit for serving in the military but there are other education benefits and you can start using them after graduating from Basic Training or sometimes your Career Training School. I also interviewed past guest, Ashley Gorbulja who has gained four degrees debt-free through scholarships and programs provided through her military service.

Week 7: Fitness and Health

It is important to talk about fitness and health because as we talked about in week 2 it can disqualify you from military service. But it is also important to not only talk about being healthy physically but also focus on the importance of good mental health. In this episode, I’m talking to a former guest, Ashleigh Magee, about not only her business helping women with fitness and health but also about her own experience in the Navy.

Week 8: Finances

It is so important to talk about finances and the military as you begin your journey in the military. There is no one right piece of advice to help you in your journey. And that is why I’m excited to be talking about finances this week with Garrett Sorenson this week on the podcast. We spend a lot of time talking about not what you should do but how to create a plan so that you can make the right choice for yourself and your family (if applicable).

Week 9: Being a Woman in the Military

Another important topic to cover when talking about joining the military is what being a woman in the military is like. And while this is a topic I wish I could ignore and not talk about. It is vital that we talk about some of the challenges women can face while serving just because of their gender. The military is working to make things better for women and unlike in the past there are more women who serve and also women who have moved higher up in rank. But the truth is women haven’t been able to serve for very long compared to the history of the military so while a lot of positive things have happened there is still a long way to go.