Partners in Life, Partners in Service: Newlyweds Enlist Together

Aug. 25, 2026 | By U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion - Phoenix |

When many newlyweds are focused on building a home and starting careers, one young married couple in their 20s decided to do something different. Lance and Riley Qualls enlisted in the Army together. 

Lance is heading to active duty as an infantry recruit, with hopes of earning a spot in the elite 75th Ranger Regiment. Riley has chosen to join the Army Reserve, where she will serve as a paralegal specialist. 

"It was actually my idea first," Lance said. "Riley wanted to join the Army and then I kind of started searching for my path." 

Riley explored a career in emergency medical services but felt it wasn't the right fit. When her husband committed to enlisting, she saw an opportunity. 

"I wanted something along the same lines," she said. "The Army was close enough, and he was already doing it. There's no better time than now." 

The couple's decision highlights both the challenges and opportunities facing dual-military marriages. While Lance will serve on active duty and Riley in the reserve, both will fall under the Married Army Couples Program, which works to keep spouses together when possible. 

For Riley, the reserve component offers the balance she was seeking.

"It gives me a part-time job," she said. "That peace of mind of knowing that I have something to do when he's gone." 

Riley also sees long-term civilian value in her military occupational specialty. As a paralegal specialist, she will support the Judge Advocate General's Corps by preparing legal documents, assisting with military justice matters and providing legal help to soldiers and families — skills that translate directly to civilian paralegal and administrative careers. 

Lance, who originally considered other options before settling on infantry, is embracing the physical and mental demands ahead.  

Both said the decision has brought them closer. Instead of one spouse pursuing military service while the other stays behind, they are building their marriage around a shared sense of purpose and sacrifice. 

The couple's story is the kind recruiters love to share. In an era when many young adults report feeling directionless, these two have chosen structure, service, financial stability and mutual growth. More importantly, they said they believe the shared experience will strengthen their marriage over the long term. They will speak the same military language, understand the demands of service and be able to support each other through deployments, training and the unique stresses that come with wearing the uniform. 

For this young couple, enlisting together wasn't a leap of faith. It was a deliberate step toward a future they chose as partners — one that combines service to country with a shared vision for their life together.

Navy Reservist Achieves Dream of Becoming an NFL Cheerleader

Aug. 25, 2025 |

By Tyler Grimes, Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Jacksonville 

As the NFL prepares to launch another exciting season, one Navy Reserve sailor is preparing for her own big debut.

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Alexis Gloster, a logistics specialist assigned to Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Jacksonville, Florida, will step onto the sidelines this year as one of the newest members of the Jacksonville Jaguars cheerleading squad.

For Gloster, the accomplishment represents the fulfillment of a lifelong dream — one she has worked toward while balancing the demands of military service.

"After serving five years on active duty, I wanted the flexibility to pursue other dreams while still serving my country," said Gloster, who has now served a total of nine years in the Navy. "The Navy Reserve has given me the best of both worlds — remaining part of something bigger than myself while continuing to grow personally and professionally."

One of those dreams was professional cheerleading.

"I've loved performing and cheerleading for as long as I can remember," she said. "Becoming an NFL cheerleader was a way to share that passion on a huge stage while also making a positive impact in the community."

Earlier this year, the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, native auditioned for the Jaguars cheer squad. The process was rigorous, stretching across multiple rounds and lasting two weeks.

"We had to learn and perform choreography under pressure, complete an interview and stand out among more than 300 candidates," she recalled. "It really pushed me to be the best version of myself every single day. When I was selected, it made the moment even more special. It was intense but so rewarding."

Now, with the NFL preseason underway, Gloster is focused on balancing her Navy Reserve duties with the commitments of cheerleading on a national stage.

"It's definitely a balancing act, but the discipline and time management I've learned in the Navy help me stay on top of both," she said. "When you love what you're doing in both worlds, it makes the hard work worth it."

For Gloster, her role with the Jaguars is about more than performing in front of thousands of fans on Sundays.

"It's bigger than the field — it's about inspiring others, representing an incredible organization and connecting with people in meaningful ways," she said. "I feel so proud to wear both uniforms, the Navy's and the Jaguars'. They represent two very different worlds, but both are built on teamwork, dedication and heart."

Capt. Roger Dubé, Navy Reserve NAVSUP FLC Jacksonville commanding officer, said Gloster's role as a professional cheerleader could help with the Navy's recruiting efforts and set a good example for other Navy reservists to pursue their dreams.

"[She] is one of our unit's hard-chargers and also serves as our command fitness leader," Dubé said. "She is humble about her achievements as I was unaware of her selection as a professional cheerleader. We're looking forward to seeing her lead the games' crowds with her vibrant smile and energy."

As she looks ahead to her first season as an NFL cheerleader while continuing to serve in the Navy, Gloster hopes her story will motivate others to keep reaching for their goals.

"I hope my story shows others that you don't have to choose just one dream — you can chase them all," she said.

'Why We Serve' Program Connects Servicemembers, Civilians

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

Jan. 7, 2008 - Media outlets portray a version of the U.S. military as seen from the outside, but Americans across the country can access the primary source: hearing the military experience described by a soldier, sailor, airman or Marine who lives it. At universities, high schools and rotary clubs in scores of U.S. cities, "Why We Serve," a Defense Department outreach program, is connecting men and women in uniform to the American public they serve. Started in July 2006, the program provides a platform for servicemembers recently returned from operations in Afghanistan, Iraq or the Horn of Africa to discuss their experiences with the country at large.

"Americans want a way to hear directly from the men and women in uniform who have served. They want to hear personal stories and experiences first-hand," said Jennifer Giglio, the program's deputy director. "By providing the public one-on-one interaction with their military, Why We Serve creates that opportunity."

Now in its sixth quarterly iteration, the outreach program conceived by then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace underscores an effort by the Defense Department to bridge gaps between military and civilian cultures. The program is apolitical by design, and speakers do not address department policies; rather, each member offers Americans a glimpse of military life as seen through the eyes of someone in uniform.

The current group of a dozen servicemember speakers comprises a diverse swath of the armed forces that includes a wide range of military branch and rank, and represents both sexes, as well as many races and creeds. Three members from each service branch make up this iteration, and together they account for 130 years of military experience.

The breadth of the speakers' backgrounds and experience is matched by the vast geography the tour encompasses: In January alone, participants will appear at 31 engagements in 15 cities, from Sarasota, Fla., to San Diego, in addition to three radio interviews with a station in Riverside, Iowa.

Community organizations, business associations, academic institutions, veterans groups, and other nonprofit or nonpartisan organizations may invite a Why We Serve speaker by making a request online at www.whyweserve.mil. The Defense Department provides speakers to approved host organizations anywhere in the country free of charge.

By hosting uniformed servicemembers to speak about their individual experiences in current U.S. operations, audiences around the country are offered a personal and relevant perspective on military service.

"No longer do Americans need to rely on the media alone for balanced coverage," Giglio said. "They can request a servicemember to speak in their local community, and have the opportunity to ask questions and hear answers from someone who has had their boots on the ground."

Speakers from the most recent iteration include Marine Staff Sgt. John Costa, a native of Somerville, Mass., who deployed to Iraq's Anbar province in August 2006, when the region was one of the country's most contentious.

During Why We Serve engagements, Costa, who decided as a boy to join the U.S. military to help the "greater good," told audiences how efforts by coalition forces tamped down violence in Ramadi, creating the political breathing room necessary to forge vital alliances between local tribal sheiks and coalition operators.

Though it was widely covered in the news media, Costa offered audiences a unique perspective on what was later dubbed the "Anbar Awakening," a societal purging of extremism by Anbaris that ushered in a level of stability unprecedented since U.S. operations in Iraq began.

"In the end, it turned out that Ramadi did a complete 180," Costa told American Forces Press Service during a November 2007 interview. "I got pictures in September from the unit that had relieved us, and I just couldn't believe it. I didn't think I was looking at the same city."

In conjunction with the speaking tour, American Forces Press Service will profile each Why We Serve participant in a feature article that will be available on www.defenselink.mil, the Defense Department's official Web site.