MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII -- The Navy offers many jobs that are also offered in the civilian community, but the Navy provides its Sailors a the proper schooling they need in order to do the job.
"In high school, I wanted to go to college and become a dental technician, but my parents didn't want to pay the money for me to go to college because they were afraid I would just drop out," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Mandi M. Anderson, hospital corpsman, 3rd Dental Battalion, here. "So I spoke with the recruiter and signed up for the Navy to be a dental technician. It seemed like a good idea because I was getting to do the job I wanted to and go to school for the job at the same time."
Seven days after Anderson signed up for the Navy, May 23, 2005, she was sent to Recruit Training Center, Orlando, Fla., and then to the Naval School of Health Science in San Diego.
"My parents were actually pushing me to enlist in the Navy and were really happy when they found out," said the Newman, Calif. native. "They were really supportive of my decision, because they new it was a very positive thing for me to do with my life."
Anderson's grandfather, who served as a Navy aviation ordinanceman during World War II, said it made him very proud when his granddaughter joined the Navy.
Since enlisting, Anderson has been stationed in Long Beach, Calif., Okinawa, Japan; Balboa Hospital; San Diego, Calif., Camp Pendleton, Calif.; Pearl Harbor and MCBH K-Bay.
"The highlight of my career in the Navy so far was when I was stationed in Pendleton working with the recruits," Anderson said. "Our dental clinic caught on fire and burned down, and myself and two other dental officers were moved into trailers to keep everything running. Within one month, we had the trailers up and running. It was such a great feeling to build everything from the ground up and make something positive out of something so negative."
Anderson's job is as leading petty officer for the Central Sterilizing Room, which is a very important billet.
"I have to make sure all of the instruments that are used in the clinic are sterile before use," the Navy dental technician added. "My job is pretty critical because those tools go in peoples mouths, so they have to be sterilized the correct way. It's a very demanding job, but I love it and work with great people."
The people who work at 3rd Dental Battalion are a very tight knit group, who have great leaders, she added.
"The person I look up to is Senior Chief Petty Officer Esmerelda," said Anderson. "He's the best enlisted leader I've ever worked for. He really takes care of his people.
"He's really just a well-rounded person who makes everyone here laugh, everyday, and I strive to be as good of a leader as he is."
Anderson is currently working toward finishing her qualifications for the Fleet Marine Force certification. She said she has taken time off from college, where she is working toward earning a Bachelor's of Science Degree, to study harder for the certification.
"It's really tough to get the pin. We have to know all of the Marine Corps knowledge, like dates and history, but is well worth it," Anderson said. "I love working with Marines and hope I always get the chance to work with them."
She said she plans to continue her career in the Navy because the benefits are great and she gets to work in the job field that she's pursuing a degree in. She also hopes to always be stationed on a Marine Corps Base or with a Marine Corps unit.
"The amount of respect that junior Marines show to their leaders is just very different than anyone else," she said. "They seem very loyal and dedicated to what they do, and that impresses me."
A lot of the younger Sailors seem to have a bad impression of the Navy because they aren't getting what they want or expect. That's because they aren't standing out, added Anderson.
"They need to put fourth the effort to shine and get what they want out of the Navy," she said. "If you strive to be a good Sailor or leader and stand out from your peers then everything will work out well. They just need to remember that nothing is given-it has to be earned."