Today is Veterans Day and I want to start off by saying THANK YOU to all of the brave men and women who have served or are currently serving our country. At LearnKey we are proud to have both Veterans and active duty military on our team. On this day I want to recognize and thank them for their service. THANK YOU to Michael Watson, Kelly Woods, Aaron Colborn, Jessica Staples, Tristan Roberts, David Lindenmuth, Ed Ohrablo, and Beth Ciaramello. We are grateful for your service and proud to have you all on the LearnKey team. I asked Michael, Kelly, Aaron, Jessica, Tristan, David, Ed, and Beth to share a little bit about their experiences. I hope everyone enjoys reading about their experiences as much as I did.

Michael Watson – Has worked at LearnKey for for 16 years. But Scott Walker was here a year before me. =)

1. What branch of the military did you serve in? U.S. Navy
2. How many years did you serve? 4 years
3. What were you trained in? Communication Technician Radioman & Yeoman
4. Reflections on your service: I was stationed on the island of Ohau, Hawaii. Based in Pearl Harbor and worked for CINCPAC (a joint command in the mountains overlooking the island) for three years. Not the typical sailor’s tour of duty, but I had it made for my entire four years including one at sea on an attack carrier. I would never trade those four years.

Kelly Woods – Has worked at LearnKey for 3 years

1. What branch of the military did you serve in? Currently serving in the Army Reserve
2. How many years did you serve? I have currently been serving for 3 1/2 years
3. What were you trained in? My MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) is a 68J/Medical logistics Specialist
4. Reflections of your service: It has been very rewarding to go into the service at an older age. I was 39 when I went through basic training and I learned how old I was then! =) However, through perseverance and dedication I was able to grow tremendously. I find that I love the freedoms that we have in this country and I am proud to be one of the soldiers who defend those freedoms!

Aaron Colborn – Has worked at LearnKey for 2 years

1. What branch of the military did you serve in? Air Force
2. How many years did you serve? 6 years in England, Italy, Spain, and Kuwait.
3. What were you trained in? I was trained to work on the LANTIRN system (Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infra Red for Night). Basically, radar navigation and laser bomb targeting for F-15’s and F-16’s.
4. I personally had a very good experience, it taught me how to be responsible for myself and others as well as giving me the tools to work as part of a team, something that has been very helpful in the rest of my life. It also put me through school. I used the GI Bill to follow my dream of going to film school. Now I have a BA in Film Studies and didn’t have to pay a penny. I have zero school debt.

Jessica Staples – Has worked at LearnKey for 2 years

1. What branch of the military did you serve in? U.S. Navy
2. How many years did you serve? 4 years
3. What were you trained in? I was a Cryptological Technician. Basically, I analyzed various radar characteristics (what frequencies they ran on, what vessels or aircraft used them, which ones were navigational, which ones were used for weapons systems). I did a lot of investigating, picture taking, logging. It was a cushy, but necessary job on the ship.
4. Reflections of your service: I really enjoyed traveling. As awful as it was being stuck on a ship for weeks at a time, or on deployment for months at a time, the port visits to foreign countries made it all worth it. I’ve been to Japan, Hong Kong, Palau, Dubai, other areas of the Middle East, Alaska, Guam, and a few others I can’t think of. Experiencing other cultures really made me respect diversity and food. I would give almost anything to experience it all again. Well, the traveling…not the deck swabbing. =)

Tristan Roberts – Has worked at LearnKey for 1 year

1. What branch of the military did you serve in? U.S. Navy
2. How long did you serve? 4 years
3. What were you trained in? I was a Hospital Corpsman (GreenSide) Trained in med/field medicine
4. Reflections of your service: Best decision I made was joining the military

David Lindenmuth – Has worked at LearnKey for 4 months

1. What branch of the military did you serve in? U.S. Navy
2. How long did you serve? 20 years
3. What were you trained in? Mess Management Specialist (Food Service and Bachelor Quarters). One of, if not the most important job in the military.
4. Reflections of your service: One of the smartest decisions I have made in my life. I served on the East coast and of my 20 years that I served, 12 1/2 years of it was spent on board ships. I enjoyed my time in the military getting to see a lot of countries that I would not have seen if not for the military. I pretty much have seen all of Europe, Northern Africa, Virgin Islands, and several South American countries during various deployments.

Ed Ohrablo – Has worked at LearnKey for 4 months

1. What branch of the military did you serve in? U.S. Navy
2. How long did you serve? 9 years
3. What were you trained in? I was trained as a radiology technologist and med/field med medicine.
4. Reflections of your service: I am honored to have had the chance to serve. Being able to travel and see different cultures’ societies, made me realize how amazing our country really remains. Our founding ideas are still worth defending and fighting for.

Beth Ciaramello – Has worked at LearnKey for 5 months

1. What branch of the military did you serve in? Army
2. How long did you serve? 1 year
3. What were you trained in? Military Police
4. Reflections of your service: Such an amazing experience. I got to create lifelong friendships as well as perform tasks I never thought I would be able to do. Very rewarding experience.

Kent Tilley – Has worked at LearnKey for 6 months

1. What branch of the military did you serve in? Army
2. How many years did you serve? 7.5
3. What were you trained in? Petroleum Supply, Transportation, Infantry, Demolitions, Helicopter Operations
4. Reflections of your service: It was an honor to work for the Army. I learned about continuing to work no matter the working conditions and getting it done.