Jevon Wooden

You may be on to something. You might be on to something. I'm tired of working these two jobs. So wouldn't you know, I go down there and every branch is in that recruiting station. So you have the Marines, you have the Air Force, you have the Coast Guard and you have the Army. So I go in there, I check out each office. So Marines was like, yeah, we don't give bonuses.

You may be on to something. You might be on to something. I'm tired of working these two jobs. So wouldn't you know, I go down there and every branch is in that recruiting station. So you have the Marines, you have the Air Force, you have the Coast Guard and you have the Army. So I go in there, I check out each office. So Marines was like, yeah, we don't give bonuses.

We're all about serving honor. I said, nope, I need my bonus. So that's out. I go to the Air Force and they was like, we only have these certain jobs that's going to be available because they're a smaller subset. So they don't have as many roles. So I go into the army. I take what they call the ASVAB. It's your aptitude test to see what jobs you qualify for. I take it.

We're all about serving honor. I said, nope, I need my bonus. So that's out. I go to the Air Force and they was like, we only have these certain jobs that's going to be available because they're a smaller subset. So they don't have as many roles. So I go into the army. I take what they call the ASVAB. It's your aptitude test to see what jobs you qualify for. I take it.

They're like, oh, you qualify for anything. So the top two jobs for me were military intelligence and IT. And I said, military intelligence sounds great, but what the heck am I going to do with that in the civilian world? So my recruiter, he was like, I'm going to just be honest. You should do tech because tech, you never run out of it. Everyone needs tech. So I did tech.

They're like, oh, you qualify for anything. So the top two jobs for me were military intelligence and IT. And I said, military intelligence sounds great, but what the heck am I going to do with that in the civilian world? So my recruiter, he was like, I'm going to just be honest. You should do tech because tech, you never run out of it. Everyone needs tech. So I did tech.

And that was probably the best decision I could have made was to go into that recruiter station and listen to him and just do what I could. Now, I'd signed up for the reserves because I still wanted to do like my personal life. I don't know if I want to commit fully to this. But what they don't tell you about the reserves is you deploy a lot. So I deployed three times as a reservist and deployed.

And that was probably the best decision I could have made was to go into that recruiter station and listen to him and just do what I could. Now, I'd signed up for the reserves because I still wanted to do like my personal life. I don't know if I want to commit fully to this. But what they don't tell you about the reserves is you deploy a lot. So I deployed three times as a reservist and deployed.

That was that was such a change for me from culturally. It's a culture shock in the Army. You're seeing people I had never been outside of like my little bubble or other predominantly black areas. Army, I'm seeing everyone from everywhere. You got people from Guam. You got people from Iowa, Nebraska, everywhere.

That was that was such a change for me from culturally. It's a culture shock in the Army. You're seeing people I had never been outside of like my little bubble or other predominantly black areas. Army, I'm seeing everyone from everywhere. You got people from Guam. You got people from Iowa, Nebraska, everywhere.

And that was awesome because I'm like, here I am talking to people I would have never met. I would have never had to look to my left and my right and depend on these people for to succeed. And then as I moved up into the ranks as a non-commissioned officer to lead other people, you get this this opportunity to really, they say, see what you're made of.

And that was awesome because I'm like, here I am talking to people I would have never met. I would have never had to look to my left and my right and depend on these people for to succeed. And then as I moved up into the ranks as a non-commissioned officer to lead other people, you get this this opportunity to really, they say, see what you're made of.

And it was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. Because here it is, these soldiers who didn't believe in themselves. You know, I don't know if you've ever heard the saying, I don't know if it's a proverb or what, but it talks about how the butterfly can't see its own beautiful wings. So that's how I felt about these soldiers.

And it was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. Because here it is, these soldiers who didn't believe in themselves. You know, I don't know if you've ever heard the saying, I don't know if it's a proverb or what, but it talks about how the butterfly can't see its own beautiful wings. So that's how I felt about these soldiers.

Here they are, they're coming from areas like me, and they just didn't know how amazing they were. And it really was because their prior leadership never poured into them. So my ability to just really say, hey, I know that You're feeling low, you've gone through this, you're doing this for your family, whatever the motivation is that has you here.

Here they are, they're coming from areas like me, and they just didn't know how amazing they were. And it really was because their prior leadership never poured into them. So my ability to just really say, hey, I know that You're feeling low, you've gone through this, you're doing this for your family, whatever the motivation is that has you here.

But I'm going to let you know that I'm going to take ownership of your success because that's what I feel like a great leader should do. Take ownership of their success. So I had one-on-one conversations with them and I was able to understand why they were there. Whether it be they couldn't afford milk for their baby, so they signed up so they can have some money, whatever it was.

But I'm going to let you know that I'm going to take ownership of your success because that's what I feel like a great leader should do. Take ownership of their success. So I had one-on-one conversations with them and I was able to understand why they were there. Whether it be they couldn't afford milk for their baby, so they signed up so they can have some money, whatever it was.

And we rode with them. And they gave me a little coin. One of my groups of soldiers, they gave me a little coin. And that's my favorite award to this day. And that coin just said, hey, thank you for being an awesome leader. That was all it said.

And we rode with them. And they gave me a little coin. One of my groups of soldiers, they gave me a little coin. And that's my favorite award to this day. And that coin just said, hey, thank you for being an awesome leader. That was all it said.