By Christine Creenan-Jones
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
BETHESDA, Md., Sept. 5, 2014 – Five years ago, Army Sgt.
Julie Bytnar was leading a very different life. She was a homemaker living in
the Chicago suburbs while her husband, Bill, earned most of the family’s
income.
Then, without warning, Bill became very ill after a rare
blood-clotting disorder ravaged his body. Over time, his condition
deteriorated, and he could no longer work. Their bills began piling up, with no
reprieve in sight.
Desperate to keep hope alive, Bytnar enlisted in the
military so she could take care of her husband and young children.
“Although I was eligible for a commission based on my
education and work experience, the lead time would have been much longer, and I
needed a career right away,” she said. “So I enlisted in 2009 at 38 years old
and have been learning about the Army from the bottom up ever since.”
Swift indoctrination
Although her uniformed career has been short, Bytnar’s
military indoctrination was the swift, no-holds-barred kind. After proving
herself at garrison duty assignments as a lead health care specialist, Julie
deployed to Afghanistan in 2011.
“It was an intense experience,” she said. “I provided a lot
of hands-on care to wounded service members and local Afghans, treating
everything from minor to life threatening injuries.”
Bytnar said her experience in Afghanistan also changed her
career focus. Instead of simply providing care, she said, she began thinking
about the bigger picture and wondering how she could prevent injuries from
happening in the first place. Her curiosity eventually led her to the Uniformed
Services University of the Health Sciences here, where she broke ground as the
first enlisted service member to be accepted into a graduate-level program.
“Even though I was hopeful, I was still very surprised when
I got my acceptance letter from USU,” she said. “Now I’m working toward a
Master of Public Health [degree]. I already have a few classes under my belt.
They were challenging, but I feel confident I’ll survive the program. I want to
prove to myself and everyone else that I can do this.”
Looking to the future
Although she is still uncertain about her future after
graduation, she said, she has a science background and a fondness for research
that’s pulling her toward a specialization in epidemiology.
It’s a difficult track in a rigorous program on a campus
full of military officers. Still, her determination is tenacious.
“The past few years have been tough, but I’m more confident
now than ever before,” Bytnar said. “I made it through basic training with a
bunch of soldiers in their late teens and early 20s. I’ve gone on dismounted
patrols in a war zone and treated some pretty grievous injuries. Now I’m at
USU. I feel like there isn’t a whole lot I can’t do.”
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