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Marla H. is a Veteran and student graduate of the Task Force: ISO SUPPORT: Photography Training program. She participates as a photographer in the IMAGING program and has served as a student assistant.
“I don’t think of myself as broken, I just know my limitations.”
At 15, I dropped out of high school because I was pregnant and married. I had always had a plan to get out of Midwest Illinois and get an education and the military was definitely in my sights. Both of my brothers served in the Army, and one was a lifer. My marriage wasn’t in a good place and life wasn’t working out as I had hoped. Looking around for a change, my husband and I both went in to the Army’s buddy enlistment program. This allows an enlistee and friends to attend the same Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training together.
Though my husband didn’t make it through basic, I went ahead and got stationed at a tech school. I ended up as a jet engine mechanic stationed at Petersen Air Force Base in Colorado. While I was there, I suffered an on-the-job injury — getting jet fuel in my eyes, which set off an allergic reaction. Since I couldn’t continue in my current position, I cross-trained as a law enforcement officer. That got me sent to Duluth, Minnesota, where I worked hand-in-hand with men and learned to love the winters.
While I was there, I had an incident in the barracks that resulted in a hardship discharge (disability related to Military Sexual Trauma (MST). Back in civilian life, I struggled to find work and went into truck driving, which I then did on and off for 30 years. During that time, I was still experiencing health issues that started in the military. And I continued to have difficulties with relationships throughout my working life. After a
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