When we first started dating, I knew that Elysia would be leaving for her first duty station as soon as she passed the bar exam but neither of us knew where that would be. One of the truths about joining the military is that you really can see the world. Of course, it may not be somewhere you wanted to see but the mystery of it can be fun once you fully accept that it could be anywhere you are needed. In the Navy the odds are good that you are going to be near water and we both consider that to be a good thing having grown up on the coasts.
When she was in Naval Justice School (JAG training following Officer Indoctrination School), Elysia heard a story about someone in another class who was arrogant and full of himself. Knowing that the detailer was coming to discuss possible first duty stations, several classmates began extolling the virtues of Guam in front of this annoying officer, a place none of them wanted to go. A tropical paradise! A rare assignment! Predictably, the officer was a bit sneaky and privately cornered the detailer, demanding that he was the right person to be sent to Guam . . . and off he went.
The detailers have the challenging job of finding someone to fill every billet whether it is a great place or not. Of course desirability is in the eye of the beholder — we met other people later who wanted Guam — and the detailer tries to put everything in the best possible light. A few years back there was a position open at Naval Air Station Lemoore, and I had to laugh when it was described as being within equal driving distance of both San Francisco and Los Angeles. While some places are nicer than others, there are very few places I would not mind exploring for three years. Fortunately, the JAG Corps is small enough that an officer has a reasonable chance of going somewhere they identified on their dream sheet.
After we had been dating a few months one of the first things I did was scour the web to learn more about the places JAGs can go. Keflavik, Iceland? We could soak in the healing waters of the Blue Lagoon for three years! Sardinia, Italy? The locals have discovered that the secret to living long is wine and goat cheese, and I think I could get on board with that if called upon by my country.
As it turned out, while I was daydreaming of Europe the reality was that our first duty station was going to be Kings Bay, Georgia. I panicked when I could not find it quickly on a map. How would I find a job in the middle of nowhere? Then through a stroke of luck we were instead off to the Pacific Northwest and lived in Seattle, and wouldn’t you know I couldn’t find work there for months. Go figure.
So far, we have not made it to Hawaii, Guam or any other tropical paradise. That nice sunset at the top of this post? Click on it and you’ll see it was taken from our Miata while driving on I-95 between our 2-year home in Virginia Beach and my job in Washington DC. Fortunately beautiful sunsets can be found everywhere. Even in Seattle.
