NAVALA AIR STATION FORT WORTH JOINT RESERVE BASE, Texas -- This edition of Spotlight features Staff Sgt. Brittany Breen, a 301st Judge Advocate Adverse Action Paralegal. She's been with the wing for over five years and shares why she joined the military as well as some of her career goals.
Q: What did you want to do as a kid?
A: As a younger kid, I wanted to be a doctor, specifically an anesthesiologist. That was the dream for a long time until I did a little research and the lawsuit rate really put me off.
Q: Why did you join the military?
A: Honestly, I went to my cousin's graduation from the Marines in May 2013 and I loved the atmosphere and his new demeanor. I wanted that too. Plus I look up to him, so I wanted to follow in his footsteps. I grew up with a Navy stepdad, but it wasn't really anything I thought about until my cousin graduated. I enlisted less than two months later.
Q: What is your favorite part of the job?
A: This is a tough question. I would have to say it’s definitely the people that I've come across … not just at the 301st but also from technical training school and seasoning training. I still call fellow paralegals (or get calls) saying, "Hey! I need to pick your brain." I'm often introduced as everyone's "go-to" person. A lot of answers are "Ask SSgt Breen" which I think is an awesome compliment. Another favorite is articulating the message that commanders are trying to convey. Those are always fun days.
Q: What are your career goals?
A: I'm undecided between a detective and a forensic scientist. The classes I'm currently taking will eventually help me decide which is more my speed.
Q: What are your hobbies?
A: Baking! And it's fall … so I can make all the pumpkin chocolate chip things in the world! (I liked pumpkin before it was cool!) I also got a Cricut [crafts cutting machine] recently, so I've enjoyed making home crafts.
Q: What is something people might not know about you?
A: When I was a teenager, I wanted to be a firefighter/paramedic, so I enrolled in night school while in high school for my EMT-Basic to get a jump start on that. I was also a 'junior firefighter' at 16 learning the ropes of a fire department. Unfortunately, I was later told that I couldn't get a job with any ambulance until I was 21, so that fell through the cracks.