What I’ve Learned: Annalisa Reissmann

Twentynine Palms -- > I’m from Camden, NJ. I was raised by my mom Tracy Flythe and my dad Holger Reissmann, up until high school. After my parents got divorced just as I started high school, I was raised by my father.

> I always wanted to join the Marine Corps because I know that a lot of people can’t because they don’t meet the physical requirement, I just wanted to prove that I can succeed in the world’s toughest military branch.

> I joined the Marine Corps in May 2015. I decided to go open contract so that I could get shipped out as soon as possible. I was hoping to get either intelligence or air crew. I would have chosen intel because I like analyzing and figuring things out and air crew because I love flying and water.

> I love that I chose the Marine Corps; so far I really haven’t found anything I don’t like about it. My favorite part about the Marine Corps is the diversity. Before the Corps I never thought I would meet so many different people who I could actually become friends with.

> I love hosting barbecues. My friends and I have barbecues at least once every week. Although I have a specific group of friends I usually hang out with, anyone is welcome to join us.

>I also love swimming; I could do laps in the pool for hours. I started s wimming when I was five and joined the swim team when I was 10. I left when I got to high school because I wanted to concentrate on getting good grades.

> At the end of the day I especially love spending time with my friends. It doesn’t matter if we are having a barbecue or swimming or just hanging out, I just love spending time with them.

> When the time comes for me to re-enlist then I’ll decide what to do, but right now I’m more than likely going to reenlist.

> When I get out of the Corps I want to go to college to study psychology, law or medicine. I would like to become a psychologist to help people with mental problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder or people who just need someone to talk to. I would like to become a family lawyer so that if a couple gets divorced I can ensure the children end up in the place that is best for them. I would like to become a doctor because it’s a way to help people. I want to do one of these things because helping others is important to me.

> The advice I would give to someone is to always be there for someone who needs to be listened to, you never know when someone just needs to talk. Never give up. It’s cheesy but it’s also how I’ve reached a lot of my goals. I never judge a person based on the first few times we meet because they always end up surprising me.

> To me the details don’t always matter. Yes in the Marine Corps a lot of the time the details matter but sometimes what’s more important is the big picture.

> If I had someone that I would model myself after then it would be my dad. In my eyes he is perfect in basically everything. He is amazing at sports and he is also incredibly smart, he never fails at anything. When I was in the swim team he would always push me beyond my limits, I think that’s why I’m always trying to prove that I can do anything. He is the one who shaped me to be who I am, I can’t put into words just how much I love and look up to him.