Most of you ex-GIs are going to find some of what follows a little hard to understand. For instance, when we use the term U. S. Army, we are not talking about the same Service you came to know and hate. No, sir, this is a visionary Army; modern, liberated, forward-looking, even pleasant. It's an Army you'd be proud to serve in, one you'd regret being discharged from. In short, it's an Army with women in it. Or, specifically, an Army with Colleen Donovan in it.
Specialist Four Donovan, you'll notice, is not like the average soldier you may have had the misfortune to serve with. She's softer, rounder, more pleasing to the eye. Indeed, she's the kind of soldier who could make a six-day bivouac seem like a Cape Cod clambake.
Before you dash to your recruiting office to re-enlist, though, we should tell you that Donovan is just finishing a three-year hitch and is about to be mustered out. But we're ahead of ourself.
Colleen's olive-drab odyssey began three years ago at Fort Jackson in South Carolina. That's where she did her basic training. But camp, even for a distaff warrior, is no snap. "Basic taught me that you can live under far worse conditions than you think you can," says Donovan. "Some girls had a hard time because they weren't prepared for all the work, much less the loss of sleep. But I expected the worst and I think that that helped me get through it. After the initial shock, it was just like summer camp."
Next stop for Donovan was lab-technician school at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, where she was trained in the finer points of chemistry, hematology and microbiology in preparation for her present job as a lab technician at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
Being a pretty soldier helps on the job, Colleen has found. "Men, even officers, aren't used to us yet. They always want to do things for me, like lifting heavy objects. I don't mind that, though. I'll gladly leave the lifting to someone stronger."
One would think it would be hard to maintain one's femininity in fatigues and combat boots, but Colleen has no problem. "The way you feel about yourself comes through, no matter what you're wearing; you can use eye contact, smiles, body language. It's not necessary to be in sexy clothing--certain things will still show."
But, as we mentioned earlier, Colleen will soon be in civvies and she's excited about her prospects. "I've been taking predental courses at the University of Maryland, so that when I get out, I can go to dental school; I just made it under the wire to be eligible for the old GI bill."
Now, that's what we call putting our tax dollars to good use: making a visit to the dentist enjoyable.
