If you’d asked me about my 10-year plan when I began nursing school, there would've been no mention of the military.

"Afghani people are proud, hard-working, and peace-loving: like a lot of us. Their grit and determination kept us motivated through trauma calls and long days. We might not have spoken the same language, but pride and strength are understood universally."

Maj. Corrine Gogert, U.S. Army and DNP student

Yet, here I am, 13 years later, a Major in the U.S. Army, finishing a doctoral degree with every intention of retiring from the Army after 20 years of service.

So, what changed? It boils down to experiences. Between treating Pearl Harbor survivors, performing internal cardiac massage in an active war zone, and learning to drive a Humvee, I've seen a lot in less than a decade and a half.

By far the most adventurous experience was my 2014 deployment to Afghanistan, a last-minute volunteer opportunity that I jumped into without a second thought. With no training in trauma nursing, I joined a unit already in-country. Going in blind and inexperienced, what I expected and what I experienced were two totally different things.

The country itself proved my biggest surprise. What is often portrayed as a harsh landscape filled with war-torn towns and garbage-laced streets is actually a beautiful and diverse terrain of mountains, lush farmland, and plains. We were fortunate to have a large patient population of Afghanis whose care we took over from the French military medical teams who’d operated the medical facility before us. Afghani people are proud, hard-working, and peace-loving: like a lot of us. Their grit and determination kept us motivated through trauma calls and long days. We might not have spoken the same language, but pride and strength are understood universally.

Rotating through acute care, ICU, the operating room, and the trauma bay, I learned how to diagnose appendicitis with only an ultrasound, taught medics pharmacology, learned not to mistake an Afghani woman’s shyness for weakness, and that kindness conquers pretty much anything. These lessons wove into my values and beliefs and have made a lasting mark on who I am as a nurse and care provider.

Maj. Corrine Gogert, U.S. Army nurse and DNP student

Rotating through acute care, ICU, the operating room, and the trauma bay, I learned how to diagnose appendicitis with only an ultrasound, taught medics pharmacology, learned not to mistake an Afghani woman’s shyness for weakness, and that kindness conquers pretty much anything. These lessons wove into my values and beliefs and have made a lasting mark on who I am as a nurse and care provider.

Was it scary to have mortars targeting our base at 4 a.m.? Absolutely. But was it worth it to see a seven-year-old girl go home with all her limbs or to know that soldiers returned home to loved ones as a direct result of our care? No question about it.

Prepared or not, every soldier’s deployment is full of surprises. Every opportunity, if you give it a chance, can provide you with all sorts of experiences. As nurses, we must never judge a book by its cover. Through the eyes of the public, Afghanistan and its people are war-torn and brutal. However, from the perspective of someone who's been there, it’s beautiful, once you take the time to open your eyes.

A member of the U.S. Army since 2011, Corrine will earn a DNP in spring 2025.