At what point at when you made that leap (i.e. OCS, WOCS, 1SG Academy or SGM Academy) did you actually have the feeling "I BELONG?"

It was, for me, the day I raised my right arm and did my oath.

I would have to say when I left my first unit to support the airport security mission. That showed me the National Guard was much more than the unit I signed up with. If not for that initial period of active duty, I would have left in 2002 with 7 years of service.

Are you talking initially, right after joining - or are you talking about finally coming into my own?

As soon as the NEW Cherry/Boot got to the unit after me, I felt like I belonged after initially joining. When I finally made Chief Petty Officer, I didn't feel it for about a year - when I had to have a closed-door meeting with a temporary duty, O-4, XO. I marched in, shut the door, and ate him up for doing some REALLY stupid crap that was destroying morale and would have long-lasting impact on the unit. As I walked out, I was both amazed that I had the balls to yell at an O-4 like that - AND that I fully expected him to listen to me. That was when I felt like I could properly fill my boots as a Chief.

He did listen to me - and thanked me for it afterward.