Texas girl got adventure she was looking for in service in South Korea
ATexas girl joined the U.S. Army to serve her nation and deal with personal debt and ended up seeing a very different world far away from Fredericksburg, Texas.
“I joined through the San Antonio MEPS (Military Enlistment Processing Center). I signed up as a 25 Sierra (Satellite Communications Operator and Maintainer) because the bonus was great and it opened up possibilities in the civilian world. Besides, the job doesn’t involve messing around with blood,” said Kari Valentine, who entered the Army open to a new adventure in 2009.
Adventure is indeed what she got. Her first stop after enlisting was Fort Jackson, S.C., for basic training, then she went to Fort Gordon, Ga., for Advanced Individual Training. After that, a gateway opened to the world, with Valentine finding her boots on the ground in South Korea.
“A lot of the soldiers in the unit spent their time partying in ‘the Ville’ (area outside U.S. military bases where bars are located). I really wanted to get out and get to know the country, though. I think I saw almost every bit of Seoul there was to see,” she said. “I saw libraries, museums, temples. I got to know the public transportation system, buses and trains, really well. Korea has really good public transportation systems.”
She completely embraced the full Korean cultural experience, holding little back.
“I’m pretty sure I even ate dog at one point,” she said. “But I could never bring myself to eat a live baby octopus, though. Too many people had described what it is like having one of those wriggle your way down your throat.”
It wasn’t just play, however. All American service members know that when they are assigned to the Korean peninsula, they are someplace where a war that raged decades ago never officially ended—it just is on pause, with periodic flareups. Valentine was present for her share.
“The U.S. and South Korean forces have annual exercises and the North Koreans always object to them, that’s a given,” she said. “During my year there, though, things got even more intense for my unit. The North Koreans in turn sunk a South Korean Navy ship and shelled an island. So when we are drilling, we had to go around in full battle gear with gas masks, protective gear—the works.”
It wasn’t just the hostiles up north that kept things interesting.
The Korean environment itself is a challenging one in which to operate. The southern part of the peninsula is almost completely surrounded by ocean, so when summers come around, the heat and humidity are tropical.
On the other hand, the Koreas are far enough north and again with breezes blowing off the ocean, when winter rolls around, it can often be bitterly cold, complete with snow and ice.
For soldiers training in the field, this tests their toughness as fighters and forces them to get creative in seeking shelter from the chill.
“When out in the field, I had to go out and check the antennae of our transmitters. Unlike the male soldiers, I was small enough to slip into the spaces where the routers were shielded from the outdoors. I stayed warm that way,” she said.
Although her highest rank achieved was Specialist (E4), which in the Army is not a non-commissioned officer rank, she had gained enough experience and trust in her unit that she was often put in charge of her section. And toward the end of her tour, she got to show off her knowledge and poise to a Republic of Korea Army sergeant major, giving him the guided tour of the section.
“I got his special (challenge) coin for that,” she said.
The remainder of her time in the Army allowed her to experience Fort Carson, Colo., start a family and set her up for what she wanted next. She’s a student now at Texas A&M University-Texarkana, studying biology with the intent to teach at the high school level. Her time in military service gave her valuable perspective she will carry with her for the rest of her life.
“Serving gave me a different perspective, a higher level of respect for those who put it on the line for our country,” she said. “It makes it harder to see some who don’t seem to appreciate the sacrifices that have been made for our nation. I don’t think many who never served realize the burdens carried by those who volunteer for military service.”
To that end, she helps to promote Served Like A Girl, a charity organization that highlights homeless female vets.
“‘Served Like A Girl’ brings attention to homeless female vets and how the Veterans Administration has not necessarily done the best by them,” Valentine said. “We have a homeless veteran problem, period. But more women veterans find themselves in this kind of trouble. Served Like A Girl, among other things, created a documentary highlighting this issue for others.
For those interested in learning more, go to servedlikeagirl.com for more information.