Interview with Chelsie Onken

Abstract

Oral history with Chelsie Onken who described herself as “a young woman with hopes to travel” before she enlisted in the United States Air Force in 2014. She had high expectations of her life after she transitioned from a San Antonio College student to the Air Force. She was honorably discharged in 2017 after some bad experiences. Ms. Onken hopes to have more of a productive role in another branch and travel more as she originally wanted. She believes that by serving in a different capacity, she could in a way earn her title as a veteran by partaking in something where she is more physically productive than just in an office, where she felt she did not honor the title of a Military Veteran. She plans to re-enlist in another branch in 2-5 years after she gets her Associates Degree in Hospitality Management at St. Philips College. Onken served in the Air Force from 2014-2017