Like many other people, Sara Dahl wasn’t quite sure what her career path would look like after finishing college. She was born and raised in southern Indiana and graduated from the University of Louisville with a B.S. in Exercise Physiology, and then moved to Florida. After a few years Dahl decided to move back to the Midwest, as she missed where she grew up and her family, and she returned to Indiana.
“I decided I needed a change,” Dahl says. “My last civilian job was really taking a toll on me. After coming home from Florida, I never really found my career path and decided it was the right time to join the military.”
[Text Wrapping Break]And find her career path, she did.
“I had toyed with the idea of joining the military for many years since college, but didn’t join until I was 30,” she says. “I finally decided that if I’m going to join, I have to join now.”
At the time, the only person Dahl knew who had joined the military were two cousins and her brother. Dahl’s brother had been out of the military for many years at the time she decided to join, but what she didn’t know was that at the same time, he was also toying with the idea of rejoining. They’ve now been deployed twice together.
After extensive research on different service branches and the jobs each branch offers, Dahl set her sights on joining the National Guard. She became a 74D chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear specialist.
“Two weeks after signing my paperwork, I was shipped to Fort Jackson,” she says. “Soon after, I was sent to Fort Leonard Wood for my MOS trading. I was enlisted for seven years. My last rank as an enlisted soldier was E6. After returning home from my second deployment, I made another decision on my career path and decided to become an officer.”
Dahl went through officer candidate school and then was sent to Fort Huachuca to become a military intelligence officer. After returning home from training, she was assigned to the 38th Infantry Division for her third deployment. This deployment is where Dahl met her husband, Blake.
“Serving in the military is truly what you make it,” she says. “I have worked full time for the military in some capacity for the last 13 years. There aren’t many other jobs that would allow me to have the experiences I’ve had. I have been very fortunate.”
Most recently, Dahl took another path in her military career, and left the Indiana National Guard to join the Air Force Reserve. She is currently the force support officer of the refueling wing at Grissom Air Reserve Base. Her squadron, the force support squadron, oversees important functions that help Grissom run. Some functions include in and out processing, awards and evaluations, career development, education and training, military and family readiness, and lodging and food services.
Dahl and her husband are very involved in the community as well.
“My husband and I belong to many organizations,” she says. “We are members of the VFW, American Legion, Greentown Lions Club and Grissom Community Council.”
As Dahl reflects on Veterans Day, she feels the importance of serving her country.
“The pride I feel in serving is something that I can’t explain,” she says. “Typically my husband and I attend as many Veterans Day ceremonies as we can. We do multiple a day. We want to show as much support to the veterans of this community as they have shown us.”
