Photo By Staff Sgt. Terry Rajsombath | Staff Sgt. Isabella Duquette, a financial management technician, assigned to...... read more read more
“Joining the Guard was the best decision I’ve ever made,” said Staff Sgt. Isabella Duquette, a finance management technician, assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 43rd Military Police Brigade.
Before enlisting, Duquette had no intentions of joining the military. She was focused on her education, a future in finance, and had never seriously considered a life in uniform. That all changed when a recruiter called her - chicken.
“He [recruiter] asked if I was going to join, and I said, ‘No,’” said Duquette. “Then he just looked at me and said, ‘Chicken.’ I remember thinking – challenge accepted.”
That same day, Duquette went online, researched the 36B (finance) MOS, and called her recruiter from the hallway of her school.
“If you can get me this MOS, I’ll sign today,” said Duquette. “I knew I was being impulsive, but I also felt very driven. Looking back, I think I knew I was making a good decision for future me.”
Coming from a small town in a small state, Duquette found the diversity within basic training a positive experience during a challenging environment.
“Growing up in the small town that I did, everybody had the same story,” said Duquette. “But in basic, my platoon had people from everywhere, all over the country, even the world. So, it was just cool to meet people from other places and hear different stories from different walks of life.”
Despite the initial adjustment, Duquette thrived in the structured environment of the military. She appreciated the discipline, the predictability, and, most of all, the fact that success was tied directly to effort.
“I was aware that the military would be whatever I made of it,” she Duquette. “You get out of it what you put in. So, I did my best, and I feel like I’ve just been reaping the rewards for the past six years.”
Duquette’s hunger for responsibility led her to seek out greater challenges. After serving at Joint Force Headquarters (JFHQ), where she gained valuable experience in finance operations, she knew she needed something more.
“When I hit my six-year mark, I had the option to stay at JFHQ or move to the 43rd HHC,” said Duquette. “I wanted to push myself, meet new people, and get different experiences. I didn’t want to be comfortable—I wanted to grow.”
Her move to the 43rd brought more responsibility, and soon she found herself stepping into a leadership role as the noncommissioned officer in charge (NCOIC) for Special Staff. After years of working in environments where she was one of the youngest and lowest-ranking Soldiers, she knew it was time to take on more.
In addition to her military career, Duquette has been building her future in finance. She currently works full-time at the United States Property and Fiscal Office (USPFO), a role she secured through a combination of networking and being in the right place at the right time.
She’s also working toward multiple degrees, earning a bachelor's in accounting and business finance with plans to pursue a master’s in both. While she isn’t sure if she’ll stay in the USPFO for the long haul, she’s certain she wants to complete twenty years in the RING – at the very least.
Looking back, Duquette knows that joining the Guard was the best decision she ever made. And for those in high school who are even slightly curious about the military, her advice is simple: go for it.
“If you even have the slightest interest, you should do it,” said Duquette. “A three-year contract is nothing in the grand scheme of things. The experience, the people you meet, and the personal growth—it’s all worth it.”
| Date Taken: | 03.01.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.04.2025 10:41 |
| Story ID: | 491971 |
| Location: | RHODE ISLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 29 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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