Spotlight Sailor – HMCS Jessica M. Hauptmann

Spotlight Highlight

Senior Chief Petty Officer Hauptmann is a member of NOSC Denver’s Funeral Honor Guard where she displays honors for about 150 military funerals each year. The families come from the Denver area and surrounding states. For the last 12 years, she has selflessly and compassionately given time to these families which allows them closure after the loss of a loved one.

How have you benefited from your service in the Navy Reserve?

The Navy Reserve has provided me the opportunity to fill the roles needed by the Navy and travel. I have worked as a hospital corpsman in Spain, Guam, Kuwait, Seychelles and Hawaii. My orders have allowed me to meet Sailors and other service members, creating a global network that can be utilized around the world. Networking helps in completing missions. My Navy training has given me a strong foundation in anatomy and physiology. These studies are the centerpiece for core fitness and health professionals. After leaving active duty it was easy for me to use the knowledge gained in the military and apply to my civilian careers as a personal trainer and massage therapist.

Why did you choose to join the Navy Reserve?

I joined the Navy in 1995 and served six years on active duty. I chose to join the Navy Reserve in 2002 because I was faced with the option of sea duty aboard the conventional aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67), or get out and become a stay at home mom. After talking with my husband, who is active duty Navy, we decided that it would be too hard on our family if we both remained active duty. So, I chose to get out. While out of the Navy I felt a void in my life. I joined the reserves four month later.

In my Navy…

I have witnessed a shift in programs and a new way of thinking. We have gone from exclusion to inclusion of females in warfighting capacity and we have pushed diversity in recruitment. All of the changes have strengthened the total force of the Navy, the armed forces and our nation.