Army Master Sgt. Antoinette Love Walker watched with tears of joy when her daughter, Samantha, enlisted in the Army Reserve. Like many in the military, witnessing your child follow in your footsteps can be life-changing.
For the Walkers particularly, Army service has been a tradition that goes back all the way to World War I. However, Walker's own Army story is unique.
Job:
Senior Healthcare Operations Noncommissioned Officer
Stationed:
Defense Health Headquarters, Falls Church, Va.
Unit:
Office of the Surgeon General, U.S. Army Medical Command
Hometown:
Daytona Beach, Fla.
A Unique Path
"I've always been a tomboy growing up," she said. "I loved climbing trees and just being adventurous."
Walker, a native of Florida, was not new to military life. Her father, Anthony Love, served in the Army's 5th Special Forces Group during the Vietnam War and retired as a master sergeant.
"I always admired that he was in the military," Ryan said.
Off at college, she studied advertising at the University of Florida. During her senior year, the ROTC program looked enticing. As a trailblazer who enjoyed pushing her limits, it was the perfect path into the Army. Unfortunately, she encountered a roadblock.
"They said I was too old to join," she recalled. Although turned away, she kept the Army in mind.
Years went by and Walker continued on. She supported her husband, Kent Walker, through his successful Army career as a chief warrant officer 3 in aviation until his retirement. At 34, she reengaged her desire to serve in the armed forces. But for a second time, she was rejected.
"The age limit window was too soon," she said recalling what a recruiter told her. "I was just shy of being too old to join."
Disappointed but not shattered, Walker hung up her Army dream.
Six years passed. On May 25, 2009, Walker attended a NASCAR event in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her 16-year-old son, Preston. While he left to go on a ride, she drifted toward an Army table setup where a then-Staff Sgt. Patrick McDonough, now a master sergeant operations lead for the Syracuse Army Recruiting Battalion in New York, beckoned her over.
She signed up to help the military community in her area. A week later, she received a call.
"We started talking about joining the Army," Walker said. "I told him, 'I can't join. I'm too old.' Shockingly, he responded: 'You're in luck — they recently raised the maximum age to 42.' What?! I was ecstatic!"
Four months later, on Oct. 1, 2009, Walker raised her right hand to complete her official oath of enlistment into the Army Reserve. At the age of 40, her Army dream was finally coming true.
Up to the Challenge
In basic training, Walker was surrounded by younger people — but that didn't stop her. Confidently donning the given age-related nicknames, she flew through her physical requirements, remarking: "I enjoyed every minute of it."
After graduation, she wasted no time and attended advance individual training to become a behavioral health specialist.
"I enjoyed helping soldiers by being there in their time of need. It was very meaningful and fulfilling," Walker said.
However, being in the Army, there are many opportunities to experience new paths. She pivoted into human resources as a career manager for the secretary of the Army and even had the chance to operate in public affairs.
Now, Walker enjoys working within her initial health care path as the senior health care operations noncommissioned officer for the Office of the Surgeon General at the Pentagon.
For rank, she's made it all the way up to being a master sergeant.
"Pinch me! I can't believe I got here so quickly," Walker said. "Every day I get to wear this uniform and truly live the dream — a dream that's been mine for a while. It never gets old. I'm just completely in gratitude to be a soldier."
The Next Generation
At 19, her daughter, Samantha, continues the Army legacy. She is currently in the Simultaneous Membership Program and ROTC programs at the Virginia Military Institute and will commission as an officer when she graduates.
Walker said her daughter has always been interested in serving in the Army.
"She did [Junior] ROTC as a sophomore in high school at Fort Knox, [Kentucky,] and loved it," she said with excitement. "I never pressured her to go this path, but I am very proud of her."
Samantha enlisted at the Pentagon and was joined by family and a special guest — Walker's own recruiter McDonough, whom she met at that NASCAR race 16 years ago. He came all the way from Syracuse to witness this moment, saying: "It was just amazing to see."
Eight years prior to this moment, Walker received a letter and was pleasantly surprised to learn that her great-grandmother, Sara Elizabeth Dossey, served in the Army Reserve's Nurse Corps.
Sara took the oath of office Nov. 14, 1917, and served in support of World War I.
"I am honored to carry this tradition on," Walker said. "It was an emotional experience and a beautiful moment to see my daughter enlist, knowing now our extensive family history in serving our nation."
As retirement looms on the horizon, Walker has her sights set on a new path.
"My husband and I plan to sail around the world and travel," she said. "We absolutely can't wait."
With an impressive career and a story of resilience that she carries, Walker has advice for the next generation.
"Don't ever let fear stop you — self-doubt, a naysayer — from doing what you want to do — or the 'what if's.' ... What do you have to lose? I like to say: 'If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you.'"