November 11, 2024

Happy Veterans Day! – Gina’s Story

Introduction

Happy Veterans Day! Today, we honor the incredible individuals who have served in the US Armed Forces, making sacrifices to protect our freedoms and way of life. This holiday reminds us of the resilience, dedication, and courage it takes to become a Veteran. At Ardor Health, we are especially proud to introduce one of our own team members, Gina, a Navy Veteran and now a recruiter with us. Gina’s commitment to service continues as she helps connect caregivers to meaningful travel assignments. Join us as we celebrate Gina and her journey!

Working at Ardor, if you weren’t aware of who Gina was already – you may just see a typical colleague on your screen during a meeting. If she’s wearing short sleeves, you may get a glimpse of a physical clue around who she is, as it isn’t everyday you see a feminine woman sporting some impressive and defined muscles. So now we know she’s tough – but just how tough we talkin’?

Fast forward to the week before Veterans Day and we approached Gina to learn more about a certain part of her we heard through the grapevine; Gina herself is a Veteran. Her experience, her photos, and she herself carry an incredible story of her time in service. Keep reading to learn what she had to share.

Tell us a little about yourself to start.

I was born in El Paso, raised in Chicago, and now reside in Virginia. My passion is fitness & nutrition, I’m a competitive female bodybuilder. I also help others achieve their health goals as I’m also a personal trainer & nutritionist. Earlier this year I got married, and we share a beautiful life together with our 2 dogs.

How long did you serve in the Navy?

I served 4 years of active duty and ended in April of 2022. My dream was to eventually join the Navy Nurse Corps. but due to restrictions at the time around COVID, I was unable to. That restriction has since changed, but I’m happy where I am at now. I’m glad I got the opportunity to serve regardless, because that was my dream- serving my country. I had some big shoes to fill in my family.

You mention family, is that what drew you to the military and the Navy?

I’m actually the descendant of an Alamo war hero. My great, great grandfather, Jose Gregorio Esparza fought for Texas’ independence in The Battle of The Alamo against Mexico. He believed in American freedom. My grandfather on my mom’s side fought in the Korean War & Grandfather on Dad’s side fought in WWII and earned the purple heart. I felt it was my duty to honor them and serve.

The Navy: I love the ocean and sailing, which is why I joined. I did not want to be stuck in a desert.

What were your day to day duties like?

I held a few roles, mostly because I like to be involved. My main job was as an Aircraft Handler; think Top Gun – fighter jets and flight decks. I was stationed in the hangar bay and didn’t work on the main flight deck because it is very dangerous. Many incidents have happened just from walking in at a wrong angle – the jets’ blast can suck you into an engine in an instant or you can find yourself tangled in the blades of a helicopter. I also worked as a command fitness lead or CFL, to ensure service members upheld military-level physical fitness. So, if they did not meet standards, I was their leader to get them back on track. (They hated my workouts lol). When I wasn’t on CFL duty, I was a divisional supply officer. I ensured my division had all supplies and whatever we needed to maintain readiness for the department.

What was your favorite part about your time in service?

I loved deployment. We were extended SIX times, which hadn’t happened for an aircraft carrier since Vietnam. I was deployed almost 11 months, and there was even a point where we were stuck in the Arabian Sea for 95 days straight due to ship attacks in the surrounding waters. We even had close calls like when we thought we would have to defend ourselves during an attack from a Russian submarine; that experience has become the scariest one I’ve witnessed. Even through all the danger and hard times, there was so much camaraderie we all had each other’s back. There is nothing that quite compares to being deployed and serving a purpose around what you stand for – defending your country and the Constitution to uphold our freedoms.

An incredible story. Is there anything you’d like to say to your fellow Veterans out there?

I love you guys! Your service is never unnoticed, and you are not alone. You may not be serving in the military, but you still have a purpose. I know a lot of Vets struggle with a sense of purpose. I struggled when my dreams were shattered due to what was going on at the time. But just stay strong, push forward, and remember that we were all created for great purpose.