Photo By Terrance Bell | Fort Gregg-Adams Soldier Sgt. Joseph Mills, a native of Sacramento, Calif., said he...... read more read more
Name: Sgt. Joseph Mills
Age: 31
Hometown: Sacramento, Calif.
Marital/family status: married and expecting
Unit: Juliet Company, 262nd Quartermaster Battalion
Title: operations noncommissioned officer
Time in at Fort Gregg-Adams: seven months
Time in service: eight years
Military Occupational Specialty: 27D – paralegal specialist. According to www.goarmy.com, paralegal specialists are an integral part of the U.S. Army’s legal system. They provide legal and administrative support in all areas of law to include criminal, family, international, civil and administrative, contract and fiscal. They assist judges, Army lawyers, and unit commanders with legal matters and judicial work. The Paralegal Specialist Course is located at Fort Gregg-Adams and is 10 weeks in duration.
Background: “I’m my mom’s only kid, and my biological father left when I was pretty young. The man who stepped in to raise me (David Robert Woods, whom he calls ‘dad’) had three daughters and knew me from the time I was a baby. I’m thankful every day I had a chance to be a part of his life and that he stepped up the way he did because who knows how my life would’ve turned out if it was just my mom.”
Why you chose to be a paralegal: “For a lot of reasons – one, it’s a smaller corps; you’re going to meet great people along the way; the work is demanding at times but unique in the sense; and I can’t help but love it.”
The exact reason for joining the Army: “At the time (before enlisting), I was working three jobs. I was living paycheck to paycheck. I didn’t have any opportunity to travel. That was the biggest thing. I wanted to see the world a little bit, even if was just in the United States, and I was bummed out; it was too much work; and I was not enjoying life.”
The challenges of being a paralegal: “You do have to keep yourself at a distance from your co-workers (outside of the Judge Advocate General Corps) because if they get in trouble, you are the one who has to process the paperwork …. That’s my approach.”
You’ve been married two years. Talk about some of the challenges: “So far, it’s been rough for my wife to go to new places and not know people and not knowing some of the programs in place that can help us socialize. It’s been an adjustment, but we’re working on it.”
Best resource for families: “Military OneSource – that website has everything.”
Your Greatest challenge as a Soldier: “Readiness – being mentally ready to perform tasks and making sure my family is ready if I have to go somewhere for an extended period of time.”
How the Army has helped to develop you as an individual: “When I first joined, I was scared to talk to people of higher ranks. Since then, I have been thrown into situations when I had to brief generals. That’s given me the confidence to speak up when I need to.”
One thing that would make you stay in uniform: “(An assignment to) Japan. If I had the opportunity to go to Japan, I would reenlist for eight years.”
Immediate goals: “One, to make sure I’m fit enough for the Soldiers I’m taking care of now; and in the future, when I request to become an instructor or drill sergeant here.”
Long-term goals: “College education; I’ve delayed on that for the first eight years, but I’m working on it now. I want to make sure that if I was to get out of the Army for any reason, I’m more prepared for civilian life and education will be a big help for that.”
| Date Taken: | 07.13.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 07.13.2023 14:09 |
| Story ID: | 449134 |
| Location: | SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 48 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Meet Your Army: Fort Gregg-Adams paralegal enjoys opportunities to travel, by Terrance Bell, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
