SERGEANT MARLENE GARCIA

Sergeant Marlene Garcia: As an Army Reserve Soldier you get to be a part of an organization in which you're growing, you have structure, and you get to serve your country.

Cristi Bundukamara, Associate Professor: Well you know, deployment gives you a lot of life experience in a short amount of time.

Sergeant Marlene Garcia: If I can complete a deployment over to Iraq, and come home safely, I can do anything.

The first day I actually walked into basic training I was so scared. I felt that I wasn't going to be able to make it and, from that day, compared to the day of graduation, I felt that I could accomplish anything.

Cristi Bundukamara, Associate Professor: It builds everybody up as a team and so everybody succeeds in Basic Training.

Sergeant Marlene Garcia: It taught me that no matter how tall the obstacle is, as long as I put my mind to it, I'm going to achieve it. After coming home from Basic Training I matured a lot. I was more driven and focused and I knew that once I completed school that, you know, the sky's the limit.

The Army Reserve allows you to take a step back and to evaluate how you can make a difference in someone else's life.