Army Officer Memorandum

1. The purpose of this memorandum is to provide additional facts to illustrate the continued value and dedication I hold as an Officer in the United States Army. I acknowledge the mistake and lapse in judgement as a young Lieutenant in 2007. I have taken full responsibility for that blemish and have dedicated myself to be the finest military officer for myself, my family and for my country. I have proven my value, dedication, leadership and my ability to serve as a field grade officer. In the last ten years not only have I proven myself worthy of the rank of Major but have also had the opportunity to rectify and grow personally from the past by helping others not make my same mistakes. I must give some background facts on sensitive topics

It is known now that children who grow up in this type of environment do not have the skills to coup or voice their needs properly. A child’s brain is developing and hard wired to help the child survive without the child even knowing. For me, this meant I learned to keep my opinions to myself since my needs were not met and say yes to everyone no matter if it hurt me physically or mentally. I loved my family and I thought what was happening was normal. I thought this was how I was supposed to be treated. This caused me to be a child who was disassociated with my own feelings and self-worth. Through extensive research it is known that children of early childhood trauma have a smaller prefrontal cortex and that sexual and physical abuse can cause compulsive behaviors in small children that bypasses the prefrontal cortex. Actually scaring can be seen in the brain from children of such traumas. Thus, adults who have an early traumatic childhood are more prone to some form of addiction without proper intervention. The reason the prefrontal cortex being bypassed is such a big issue is the cortex is where decision making and moderating social behavior occurs. It’s the area of our bran that tells whether it’s ethical or morally right to do something. During times of abuse or abandonment a small child’s brain will conduct actions needed to survive that bypass the prefrontal cortex. The brain will not develop properly as a result of the

During my journey to help myself, I found an organization that takes in women and girls who have been caught up in human sex trafficking. The phoenix dream center is where I have dedicated my volunteer efforts. I learned that my current duty station, Phoenix, AZ, is the second largest sex trafficking hub in the United States. I could have easily been one of these girls with the way my life was going. I was able to be pushed on the right track by receiving that article 15 in 2007. I am now an advocate for women at the Phoenix Dream Center. My role at the center is to meet the woman I am paired with once a week, spend time with her, take her out of the center and help her see the other side of life outside sex trafficking. The point is to connect with her and help her build a meaningful relationship with another woman. Something most women with early childhood sexual abuse struggle with. Helping change one woman’s life is worth all the trouble and pain I have been through. I am proud to say I have come out on the other side of my personal struggles and made good use of the past