Doreen recalled her flight from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Orlando, Florida as a “good time, like going to summer camp.” Then, when they arrived at Boot Camp, the bus driver stopped the bus, stood up and started screaming at the recruits. Boot Camp was physically easy but took its toll on her because of her immaturity and naivety.    

Her first duty station was NAS Cecil Field, Jacksonville, Florida where her first job was cleaning the barracks. In 1981 Doreen was offered NAS Barber’s Point, Hawaii with the caveat that she extend her enlistment for one more year. She extended and transferred.

After being harassed for her gender and rating, she hit the books and studied electronics and electricity and advanced to 3^rd class Petty Officer in 1982 and 2^nd class Petty Officer in 1984.

Doreen was transferred to NAS Fallon, Nevada in 1984 in an F-18 squadron. She was advanced to 1^st Class Petty Officer and in 1988 was transferred to NAS North Island, Coronado, California as an instructor. In 1990 she was advanced to Chief Petty Officer and in 1991 she was transferred to Recruiting District San Diego. In 1993, she was transferred back to NAS North Island.

In 1994, she was froked to Senior Chief Petty Officer and applied to the position of Senior Chief onboard the Abraham Lincoln. She packed her seabag and was assigned to CVN-72, also known as the the Lady Lincoln because it was the first carrier to have women assigned to it.

In 1997 she was transferred again to NAS North Island but this time as Leading Chief. She discovered a Senior Chief who was at ACU-5 Camp Pendleton and the Navy allowed her to swap duty positions. She retired in 1999 at the Assault Craft Unit on a Marine Base.

While still in the Navy, Doreen put herself though and extended police academy and when she retired from the Navy in 1999, she was hired by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department as a Deputy from which she retired in 2011.

Doreen related three discoveries she made related to her immaturity and naivete on entering the Navy. She joined the Navy because an uninformed relative told her “Army women are all gay.”

In 1980, when her sister came to visit her, a gay woman was hitting on her sister so she challenged the woman and discovered one of the lessons of life: Stand up for what you believe in.

When presented with a family emergency. She approached her Chief and said with or without his permission, she was going home. Her chief said, “Hold on Airman, we’ll get you  home.

home.” Her second lesson of life: Know when to make a stand.