What was the highlight/most cherished memory of your military career?

The look on our OPS NCOIC's face when we presented him with Hulk Hands after he smashed his personal laptop.

Flying over 6,000 hours in F-4's, F-14's F-18's and 1300 carrier landings

The flight deck.

I rotated back to shore duty in 1983 from Fighter Squadron Eleven to AIMD Power Plants. While that AO '82' IO Cruise with VF -11 was a good tour, as retirement was ahead, I was a fairly happy sailor having served 20 years with both the Army and Navy, until the Div Officer called me in to his office. When he told me to take a seat, I knew my 6 would remain "in tack". He said I have good news and bad news, which first? I said" I'll take the good news first. He said" Gotta call from your old squadron skipper. He told me that a 2nd Class Petty Officer had requested that I should be the one to swear him into his re-enlist.. Needless to say, I was heartened to know that I had became a positive influence in my last command. Then he said, " Enlisted can't issue the oath". I said that sucks for the young sailor. I thought for a moment then told the Div Off, " As a member of the US Army's police force, I was authorized to advise man or woman of their rights against self incrimination, and a young sailor who has expressed his desire to continue his Naval Service, I can 't administer the oath of office but I can advise a man of his constitutional rights against self-incrimination. No way could I square that with what my conscience.

My most cherished memory was when I was presented with my combat patch in Iraq 2004. At that moment I was able to say that I was a 3rd generation combat veteran.

By my 17th year of Naval Service, I had already done tours on an LA Fast Attack Sub, the USS Houston (SSN-713), cross rated to the surface and subsequently did three more back to back sea commands (turning shore duty down at every turn) on the USS John S. McCain (DDG-56), the USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63), and the USS Vandegrift (FFG-48).
Years I spent at sea, but my highlight "proudest moment" didn't come from any of those commands - although there were a great many incidents that I absolutely am proud of.
No - it wasn't until I received orders to report to Fort Bliss / Camp McGregor to undergo three months of training in preparation to do a boots on ground tour in Iraq.
This may not be a big deal to anyone in the Army or Marines - but for me it was a really big deal.
Navy Provisional Detainee Battalion II, only the second IA tour in the Navy - longest boots on ground tour for the Navy since WWII.
I was a regular sailor, not a CB or SEAL (kinda obvious on that one - they don't make them as small and weak as I), and underwent the most physical training I had ever endured in my life, which subsequently made me the healthiest and fittest I had ever been, before or since. We floppy flabby squids dropped over 100 of us when training was complete and we shipped out as a unit.
So, yes - I know you guys do it all the time, so this is "nothing" compared to what you have experienced - and I have absolute respect for you all. But for me, there is a reason why nearly 85% of my Facebook friends are all from that one single command, and the rest are just squids I served time with throughout the years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navy_Provisional_Detainee_Battalion_2

When my Career Counselor teammate earned the Secretary of the Army (Department of the Army level) Career Counselor of the Year award...my biggest joys have been and will always be what our Teams accomplish.

31 years of serving with Soldiers, their Family's and for our Country!

Sharing Thanksgiving Dinner with the President and dignitaries only months after 9/11 and the kickoff of OEF, I was the only soldier to receive the Presidential challenge coin.

During my 30 year career in the Air Force the most cherished moment occurred in October 1962 when our fighter squadron deployed on very short notice to Homestead AFB, Florida at the beginning of the Cuban missile crisis. I was awakens around midnight by our first sergeant and told to pack my duffel bag and report to the hangar. We loaded our equipment on a flight of C-123's and took off, destination unknown. We flew for several hours and landed to refuel. We deplaned and I asked the fuel truck driver where we were and he said Maxwell AFB, Alabama. We got back on the plane, took off and flew for several more hours. When we landed it was very warm outside and we were told that we were at Homestead AFB, Florida. We immediately unloaded our equipment and set up shop. Our F-102's were already there so we services them and they took off. It wasn't until later in the day that we were told what was going on in Cuba. Our pilots flew missions around the clock and we slept in the hangar. We weren't the only squadron deployed there. The flight line was literally full of fighter aircraft. One evening the alert Claxton sounded and pilots swarmed out and fired up there planes. I thought the stuff about to hit the fan when they began taxiing to the runway and taking off but about halfway Dow the runway they cut their throttles and returned to the ramp. It turned out to be a practice run but we didn't know that at the beginning. It was a very surreal feeling thinking we were going to war.