Serving her country locally and internationally.

9/11 was a day that profoundly changed the lives of many Americans, especially Janet’s. This was the exact moment when Janet realized that she needed to step up and protect her country. Janet always wanted to be a police officer, and 9/11 was just the motivation she needed to put her goals into action, full speed.

After serving five years Active Duty as a Navy Corpsman, Janet went on to the Navy Reserve. But it wasn’t enough for Janet to simply protect others around the world, Janet wanted to also protect those down the street.

Janet was able to use her elite military training from Master-at-Arms school to become a police officer in her community.

“So many times I’ve seen Navy folks get the job because they’re more qualified, and the department knows they possess the skills and discipline they’re looking for,” says Janet. “The discipline in law enforcement is a paramilitary structure, and having the military background really helps you to fit into that atmosphere.”

Janet’s civilian life and military life are reflections of each other. She’s a supervisor in law enforcement on land and at sea. Janet also works with her husband, who’s a police lieutenant in his civilian life and a Command Sergeant Major in the Army Reserve. He runs dispatch and Janet catches the bad guys.

When Janet isn’t serving her fellow man, she’s serving her fellow man’s best friend.

“[In the Reserve,] you have a life other than the military. The dogs that I foster are part of an organization that rescues Asian dog breeds, Pekingeses, Lhasa Apsos. And I love dogs. I’m a dog person. And I have a houseful now,” Janet says with a smile.