step one accomplished ~

Ashley at the beginning of Fall I believe it was, started to look into and contemplate after a couple of Army nursing recruiters visited the APU campus the possibility of taking this route after graduation. So many discussions, reading up on it, Greg went to the last meeting with the recruiter. Now before they left for this meeting, they worked out what questions needed to be asked, how to ask them, why you ask them, and that Ashley was going to do all the talking because well, this is about her life. Greg had numerous "money" questions that he was sure he wanted answered to assure the payback of student loans..... The three of us went out to dinner that night to fill mom in on the details while fresh in there minds, to discuss what they heard and what they still needed clarity about. So I said "what are the pros' n cons'?" and in the excitement between the two of them the list seemed to go on and on for the pro's... she goes in as an officer not having to go through regular bootcamp, but instead 6 weeks in San Antonio Texas at Sam Houston hospital, and training is essentially death by powerpoint and 3 weeks of gun training, she will receive excellent training in top notch facilities and would be better than a civilian hospital committment of employment. She looks forward to travel around the country during the training period, Her Ob/Gyn training is definitely in HI for four months and so that is a good gig when that occurs. The chance for travel after training and she's given her assignment, if she gets any of her top ten destinations for assignment-top 3 are Germany, Italy, and Hawaii. And the biggee is that for the 3 year committment, she will receive $120,000 towards a student loan which she has already gotten completed in her name. And if she makes an additional 2 year committment, they will pay for you to get your Masters Degree, moving her wherever she gets accepted to a school, they pay your moving costs and she than becomes assigned to a hospital in that area because you will take two years to get your master degree completed.. And so about a half hour later when she took a breath, I asked "are there any cons'?" and I looked at Greg and asked "she didn't sign on the dotted line already did she?" and Ashley laughed and said "he wouldn't let me yet"... The only real cons were "leaving family, friends, missing normal activities in life". She is pretty sure that she would regret not taking advantage of the opportunity. So we agreed that it was a very wise decision and much to consider and think about and pray about. No real pit in the stomach from mom, just the overwhelming emotion of missing her.....

Ashley sent in all of the application requirements for a commision in the U.S. Army in the Nursing Corp. in mid November 2008. They originally gave her a date of Mid December when she would hear the answer.. But there was a delay, and on she was told that Jan. 7 her paperwork would go to the review board and would hear within two weeks. So Jan 22 she was notified from her recruiter liason, that she is now officially a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Nursing Corp. :) So one day very soon, she will be first commisioned into the Reserves with a signing on the dotted line and taking an oath. And than she will finish the last semester with graduation on May 9th. She will than be required to pass the NCLEX boards sometime during June, July or August when they are administered. Upon passing that is what will set in motion the date of her departure.. Approx Sept/Oct is the guesstimation right now..

She is the maid of honor in a friends wedding on July 24 and so that is one thing she will need to make sure is not affected by a departure date. She is going to go out to Minnesota for a week after graduation to grandpa/grandma's since it has been awhile since a trip like that.

So time is short and it will forever change the lives here at the Symens household. One we are proud of Ashley, and are ready for her to move into the next phase of life with excitement. This weekend she is planning to go skydiving, yep, the adventurer begins.