Photo By 1st Sgt. HollyAnn Nicom | U.S. Army 1st Lt. Sarah M. Joseph, a behavioral health officer with the Medical...... read more read more
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FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – Joining the Pennsylvania Army National Guard is a challenge. To earn the right to wear the uniform and be called a “Soldier” takes grit, hard work and physical and mental determination. For one very determined woman, achieving this was a dream she had since she was a child.
1st Lt. Sarah M. Joseph, who calls the Narvon area in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, home, belongs to the Medical Readiness Detachment, Joint Force Headquarters, at Fort Indiantown Gap and is a behavioral health officer. She grew up in a patriotic family that encouraged and supported her decision to pursue a military career from a very young age.
“My grandfather was in the Air Force, and we all idolized him. He was the greatest, and we all followed him,” she said. “He was the catalyst to our whole family being in the military and such a special part of our life.”
Joseph’s grandfather influenced her brothers and sisters as deeply as he inspired her.
“I have seven siblings and all of us but one are affiliated with the military in some way,” said Joseph.
Joseph joined the Pennsylvania Army National Guard in her senior year of high school in 2006 and became a medic. Without any life experience or post-secondary education under her belt, she enlisted with the rank of E-1, the lowest rank in the Army.
“I started at the very bottom. I remember thinking there should be something here,” laughed Joseph, pointing to the space on her chest where a rank is affixed.
Joseph was deployed to Iraq about a year after she became a medic and took a long-term Active Duty - Operational Support position at Fort Indiantown Gap upon returning home. This position allowed Joseph the opportunity to work for various Pennsylvania National Guard units on Active Guard Reserve status over the next ten years of her career.
“When I was finally promoted to a staff sergeant, they performed the promotion at my grandfather’s home. My little brother was just coming home from his deployment, and we surprised everyone with him at my grandfather’s house.”
Her grandfather passed away about a month later and Joseph is thankful for the memory of that event.
“It was really cool to share that special experience with him. That has been a theme in my life,” Joseph continued. “The Guard has taken me and just held me. I’ve had so many special experiences.”
During the time Joseph worked at Fort Indiantown Gap, she took classes at Harrisburg Area Community College. An officer who worked with her at the time, suggested to her that she would make an excellent social worker. That planted the seed in Joseph’s mind to focus her medical specialty and become a behavioral health officer.
Joseph began to use her Post 9-11 GI Bill, which are education benefits awarded to Soldiers who have deployed. She enrolled at Liberty University and took online classes. Through hard work and long days with many clinical hours, it took her only three years to obtain both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree.
The while working toward her master’s degree, the workload of her civilian education, the responsibilities of her full-time position and the expectations and certification requirements of her job as a medic in the Guard became too much for her accomplish. At this point, Joseph made the difficult decision to enter the Individual Ready Reserve, which meant that she would finish out her Army contract in an inactive status unless called upon for an emergency.
“It was so hard,” Joseph said. “I felt like I was letting down the Guard after they had taken care of me for so long. But I knew I wanted to come back as a behavioral health officer, and I really wanted to feel confident in that position.”
Joseph was able to finish her clinical rotation at the Lebanon Veterans Affairs Medical Center and loved it. She was then hired to work in the emergency room at the VA after she obtained her license in social work. From there, she took a job in the same department working with in-patient veterans and accumulated 5,000 supervision hours to achieve her clinical license in social work.
Joseph was married in 2021 to a man who also serves in the Guard as AGR and in 2022 she had a set of twins. Once her children turned one, Joseph felt she was ready to start the process to come back into the Guard and reached out to her mentor, Maj. Gen. Laura McHugh, Deputy Adjutant General-Army, for guidance.
“(McHugh) was always such an encouraging person in my career,” Joseph said. “I talked to her about the Medical Detachment and how much I wanted to be a part of that unit. She was so encouraging and gave me the confidence to just do it.”
Joseph solicited the help of the U.S. Army Medical Department recruiters to help her transition back into the Pennsylvania National Guard and said she was very impressed with them.
“They were very professional, and it felt like we would talk every day. The application process was daunting, but they were so supportive. They deserve so much credit for helping me.”
Joseph was able to proudly direct commission as a first lieutenant and a behavioral health officer on Sept. 18th, 2024, because she had two degrees and two separate social work licenses.
“The place we live in is so important,” she said. “I want my kids to see that their parents serve a country that needs them. My parents have always instilled patriotism in us and to be grateful for the opportunities that we have, and I want to instill that in my kids, too.”
Joseph hopes her story motivates others who may be in a similar situation.
“I would encourage anyone to join the Guard. I feel its special to serve the state and to serve your country and to have that opportunity to be a patriot.”
| Date Taken: | 11.03.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.03.2024 10:10 |
| Story ID: | 484535 |
| Location: | FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Hometown: | NARVON, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 67 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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Fort Indiantown Gap
