Finding a driving force.

“I never want to say I was in the military. I always want to be able to say I am in the military.” According to David, he owes everything he is today to his association with the military — even his golf game.

Ironically, growing up, David never thought he wanted to go into the military, and a week into Boot Camp, he even told his Commanding Officer that he wanted out. “She told me to give it one more week, and if I still wanted out, she’d sign my request for discharge.” David agreed, and at the end of the second week, he had a change of heart. “Staying was the best decision I ever made,” he says.

David’s association with the Navy Reserve began when his Active Duty Coast Guard unit was reclassified to fall under Navy Reserve control. Choosing to stay with his unit, David subsequently left Active Duty and found employment with a civilian police department. “My unit specializes in federal law enforcement and Search and Rescue,” says David, “so the move to the police department was an easy one.”

Today, David is a deputy sheriff in civilian life and in the process of becoming a Master-at-Arms (MA) in the Navy Reserve.

“An MA basically performs the same duties in the military as a deputy sheriff does in the civilian world,” David explains. “The only real difference in duties is that I get to travel to some cool places with the Navy Reserve.”

Although his civilian and military duties may be similar, David does notice differences between those in law enforcement who have military experience and those who do not. “I can usually tell pretty quickly if someone has prior military experience. They’re the ones who can usually spot trouble the fastest and the ones who are the most prepared to handle it when it comes.”

David believes that his military experience serves him well in both his civilian and military careers. “The military has given me the confidence, training and leadership abilities I couldn’t otherwise get. In fact, the Navy Reserve has provided me with experiences and opportunities I wouldn’t have been exposed to in a million years if I hadn’t joined. Take golf, for example: A buddy in the Reserve got me interested, and now I play a couple times a week.”

In addition to golf, David also likes to surf and workout. His civilian work schedule of three 12-hour days on the job and then four days off leaves him with a lot of time to do what he enjoys. This often includes going to the Navy Reserve Center, even when he’s not drilling. “I live only two miles from the Center,” David says, “so a lot of times, I’ll go over there and do some work to help out — although it doesn’t really feel like work. It’s all for the good of the unit, so that makes it really fulfilling.”

David says he will continue to work hard both at his civilian job and in the Navy Reserve. He plans to be promoted through the ranks in both worlds, and in the next ten years, he sees himself “making Chief” (Chief Petty Officer) in the Navy Reserve.

David lives on the West Coast.