JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. - In honor of Women’s History Month, this week’s featured service member is Army Sgt. 1st Class Ebony E. Bost, 2nd Battalion 309th Regiment, 174th Infantry Brigade Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected vehicle instructor /mentor, here. Bost is originally from Queens, N.Y.
Q: Why did you join the military?
A: I was looking for something that would give me a solid career and set me up for the future. My parents died when I was young and I don’t have any brothers or sisters. I wanted to make sure I was able to take care of my family in the future, so the military looked like a good career for me. I was also going to pharmacy school, so I was looking for something that would help pay tuition.
Q: What does your job entail?
A: It depends if the unit is getting a five-day or a one-day training. We do a classroom day, where they’ll get the basic information about the vehicle and the safety features. We stress safety because rollovers are a threat to our service members. Then we’ll go outside and do a walk-around the vehicle. They get a hands-on experience, and then we take them out to drive a training course. The training package is tailored to the job criteria in theater.
Q: Do you have any family members in the military currently or in the past?
A: My grandfather, William Roger, was in the Marine Corps many years ago. He was in four years and finished as a sergeant.
Q: What does Women’s History Month mean to you?
A: Women’s History Month is a celebration of women’s continuous progress in history, of what they’ve progressed from in the past and what we are still doing. We celebrate getting out to vote, getting into the work force, becoming doctors or engineers, owning our own companies and being in the military.
Q: What woman most inspires you?
A: A woman who inspires me is Mae C. Jemison. She was the first African-American woman to go into space.