This reflective essay examines how pursuing an Associate of Arts degree supports the career goals of a 20-year U.S. Navy veteran. The paper explores how foundational skills developed through the degree — writing, oral communication, and critical thinking — complement existing military competencies and prepare the author for civilian employment. Drawing on military training, limited college coursework, technical Navy schools, and personal life experiences, the essay traces a path from enlisted service toward a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology. It illustrates how values instilled at boot camp, skills acquired through technical and leadership courses, and lessons learned from personal experience collectively inform the author's academic and professional ambitions.
The Associate of Arts degree will contribute to my career goals in two ways. First, it will enhance the skills I use every day in my current job. Second, it will allow me to pursue a change of career.
As defined in most publications, an Associate of Arts degree helps an individual acquire writing skills, oral communication skills, and critical thinking skills associated with foundational experiences in the arts and sciences. Even though I have not been in an academic role for over 20 years, I work with these skills every day. This includes participating in working groups, giving daily briefs, and working on time-critical projects associated with the Department of Defense. Completing the Associate of Arts degree will help me acquire and develop these skills, which can then be applied to my current job.
The Associate of Arts degree is also essential in helping me manage a career change into a new field outside of the armed forces. The degree is a stepping stone that will give me the educational background I can combine with my work and life experience to move into a new career. My ultimate goal is to complete a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology. The Associate of Arts degree will help me prepare for that degree, which will ultimately lead me to a new career outside of the armed forces.
I am proud to say that I have served for over 20 years in the armed forces. I am currently in the United States Navy and plan to stay in for four more years. My current position is Assistant Strike Officer for Commander Carrier Group 7. In this role, I assist the Strike Officer in the preparation and dissemination of Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) operational tasks, weapons doctrine, strike plans, and training directives to ships in our battle group. I review TLAM exercises and recommend courses of action required to achieve and maintain proficiency in weapons delivery. I am personally involved in the improvement process of present and future Tomahawk weapon systems and tactics.
Promotions within the military are very competitive, especially as the institution moves toward a younger and smaller force. This means there is limited future opportunity for me in the Navy, and for this reason I am keen to prepare myself for civilian employment.
In the remainder of this paper, I will discuss my learning experiences, including the most important things I have learned from military training, college education, academic courses, and life experience. I will also provide specific examples of things I have learned and how I have applied them in the past, how I apply them currently, and how I plan to apply them in the future. All of this relates to how my background will help me achieve my career goal of completing the Associate of Arts degree — the first step toward a career change, with the ultimate aim of earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology.
My time in the military has been a continuous learning experience, filled with training and events that have taught me a great deal. The most significant learning experience was boot camp, which I attended in 1982. Boot camp taught me all the foundational rules needed for a successful career in the Navy, including the core values of honor, courage, and commitment. While these values were originally framed in the context of a naval career, they apply equally to all aspects of life and will apply to the civilian career I intend to pursue.
In my daily life, these core values have helped me develop relationships with peers, superiors, and subordinates. They have made me willing to offer honest recommendations and to accept the recommendations of junior personnel. The core values have acted as a moral and mental guide, giving me the strength to do what is right even in the face of personal or professional adversity. The training also taught me to treat each individual with human dignity and to remain committed to positive change and constant improvement.
The ideals learned at boot camp became the foundation of my Navy career and extended into my personal life and relationships outside of the Navy. Even after I leave the service, I will continue to apply these values to my life and future career. They have become part of my overall perspective — guiding not only my naval duties but also my approach to study and my plans for the future. These values will continue to help me achieve my goals of completing the Associate of Arts degree and building a new career outside of the Navy.
Most of my time in the Navy was spent away from any opportunity to attend school, which means my college-level education is limited. I did have the chance to attend a lower-level college English course in 1995. This course was essentially a review of high school English, but it taught me valuable techniques for gathering and organizing ideas, including brainstorming and grouping related concepts. I applied this knowledge to my work in the military and found that it improved my problem-solving ability and my capacity to think creatively about challenges I faced.
Most of my college-level credits were earned through the many technical courses I completed throughout my Navy career. Early in my career, Fire Control "A" School introduced me to theories in electromechanical, microwave, radar, and solid-state electronic fundamentals. I then attended "C" School and studied gun fire control, Harpoon, and Tomahawk weapon systems. This technical curriculum enabled me to develop strong skills in troubleshooting and maintaining computer and electronic systems — skills directly relevant to my goal of earning a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology.
"Personal lessons from family and travel"
"How skills have been and will be applied"
After 20 years in the armed forces, I am ready to move on and begin a new career. My experiences and learning in the Navy have taught me a great deal, and I will continue to apply the skills and values I have gained to a new career. My own life experiences have also been deeply instructive, and I will apply those lessons to a new set of goals.
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