7 Years to learn, 13 years to get better!

So I just came up on 7 years in the military, and boy how the time flies. I find myself lecturing young airman on opening a Roth IRA along with the Thrift Savings plan as soon as they come in. I'm nagging airman about getting their education because time gets away from you. I know from experience. My dad always told me growing up that you want your children to better than you were. I feel the same way with the airman coming up around me. I want to make sure everyone that comes up after me doesn't have to learn the same lessons I did the hard way.

With that being said, the most important thing I have learned in these 7 years is that you have to take care of yourself. If you spend time depending on someone else to look out for you, it just may never happen. I was fortunate to have a really good supervisor when I first came in. I was blessed to be able to work with her for 3 years. Every since then, I feel like I have been left out in the cold to take care of myself. In the last three years, I have experienced many disappointments when it comes to leadership, but I have recently made the decision to take my career into my own hands literally.

I plan to stay in the military for 13 more years, and I refuse let anyone get in the way of the things I know that I am capable of achieving. I will also make sure that I am the leader that I expect out of my leadership. I will look out for my troops, and I'll step up to get the job done. Things have changed a lot in the 7 years I have been in. With more rank, I am able to change more things. Time to study up! Frankly, I'm tired of a lot of bs, and I'm ready to start changing things around me.