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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 7, 2018)
VETERAN’S DAY Special Edition Page 8 November 7, 2018 For your light bulbs & parts to repair or make fixtures Web: www.sunlanlighting.com E-mail: kay@lightlady.com 3901 N. Mississippi Ave. Portland, OR 97227 503.281.0453 Fax 503.281.3408 photo by D anny p eterson /t he p ortlanD o bserver Tabitha Gavia, the first female senior enlisted leader for U.S. Army Recruiting Command at Fort Knox, Kentucky, visits Union High School in Vancouver during her recent stops in the Portland area to visit Armed Forces recruiting stations and local schools. photo by D anny p eterson /t he p ortlanD o bserver Jason Grinyshyn, 14, attempts a pull up as Sgt. Juan Rodriguez looks on during a recent Army recruitment event at Union High School in Vancouver. Recruiting Challenge C ontinueD froM f ront 5010 NE 9th Ave Portland, Or 97211 Phone: 503 284-2989 Stylist Wanted We specialize in a variety of cuts for men and women, hot towel razor shaves, braiding, hair extension, Shampoo, blow dryer and Platinum fade. Call Today or Walk in !!! Avalon Flowers 520 SW 3rd Ave., Portland, OR 97204 • 503-796-9250 A full service flower experience Cori Stewart-- Owner, Operator • Birthdays • Anniversaries • Funerals • Weddings Open: Mon.-Fri. 7:30am til 5:30pm Saturday 9am til 2pm. Website: avalonflowerspdx.com email: avalonflowers@msn.com We Offer Wire Services from medical jobs to intelligence jobs to learning how to speak Ar- abic and Chinese...I mean there’s a wide range of jobs out there for young people. And it certainly should be considered an option,” she said, adding that becoming a doctor or lawyer are also viable military career paths for enlistees. Throughout her own Army ca- reer, Gavia has garnered a long list of impressive jobs working in the physics, medical, and leadership fields. She also has an associate’s degree in technology, a Bachelor of Science in liberal arts, and a Master of Business Administration. As the recipient of multiple honors through the years, includ- ing the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, and Meritorious Ser- vice Medal, Gavia said the Army can help young people stick with goals they’ve set out for them- selves, just as it did for her. “When they leave the military, they do better in college. People who serve in the military gener- ally vote…they generally make their invested interest in the com- munity known,” she said. As an African American wom- an, Gavia said she’s faced chal- lenges along the way rising in the ranks of the military. “I joined the military 31 years ago. And life was very different 31 years ago than it is today. And so people thought differently about things. They weren’t as educated on diversity and prejudice and discrim- ination as they are now,” she said Gavia added that today the mil- itary has a robust equal-opportuni- ty program to prevent prejudicial behaviors and attitudes from per- vading. Overall, the experience of team-building the Army provided made her a stronger person, she said. “The Army develops teams and it develops leaders and it makes us strong. And I couldn’t imagine do- ing anything else,” she said. It was reported last month that the Army was about 6,500 people short of reaching their recruiting goals this fiscal year, for the first time in more a decade, despite other service branches meeting their targets. Gavia pointed out that the Army did sign up more people this past year than they have since 2010. She was confident that by getting the message out and im- plementing modern incentives for enlistments, that the recruiting goals will be met in the future. “We’re putting together a cross- fit team to travel across the coun- try to compete and recruit. And we’ve also identified that we have young people interested in e-gam- ing. And so we’re putting together an e-gaming team.” she said. Gavia, who was raised in Vir- ginia, said her father, who served in Vietnam, instilled the values of servicing a bigger cause than her- self from a young age. “He wanted us to serve some- thing; it didn’t have to be the mil- itary. He would’ve been just as happy if I went off with the Peace Corps or if I did volunteer 10 hours a week with the Red Cross,” she said. It wasn’t until Gavia went to col- lege for a few months that she re- alized she wanted something more. “I didn’t feel included, I think. And every time I’d see my father with folks growing up, it’s just a team, a family…I wanted to be part of something bigger than my- self,” she said.
