Old Harbour beauty queen graduates top US Army class

A proud Jamaican from Old Harbour Bay, Nelson, who migrated to the United States a few years ago, had always dreamed of being in the armed forces. So when the opportunity presented itself to be of service, she did not hesitate. Hence, the former model would swap high heels for combat boots was determined to give it her all.

When it comes to going after her goals, Nelson is fearless as proven when she was crowned 2018 Miss St Catherine Festival Queen and operating a non-profit organization in Jamaica. Her latest challenge, however, would not only prove to be formidable, but one that ultimately renewed and strengthened her passion and purpose in her walk with the Lord.

“When I moved to America, I knew hands down that I wanted to join the military so I did my research and saw that I still could. So I called my recruiter, walked in, did and passed my test and he started the process of getting me in the army. From I was in high school I always wanted to go into combat arms but I was young and you know your parents have to sign off on it,” the Innswood High and Edna Manley College alum told Old Harbour News. “My mom was like ‘No, I know you you’re not the type to sit in the office, you’re going to want to go to war even though there is no war in Jamaica’ and she didn’t sign off on it and I went in modeling but I didn’t forget that dream of becoming a military personnel.”

When it came to her career, Nelson wanted to explore her options to the fullest. “When I learned that females are now allowed to do combat arms and do ‘19 Kilos’, I looked it up and realised it involved being a tanker,” she explained. “I told my recruiter and he said ‘Are you sure that’s what you want?’ and I said ‘That’s the job I wanted.’”  In the US Army, 19K is the military occupational specialty (MOS) for an M1 Armor Crewman. These soldiers are responsible for operating and maintaining the M1 Abrams tank, performing duties such as driving, loading, and firing the tank's weapons, as well as maintaining the vehicle and its equipment.

To be considered a soldier requires five months of training during which in the first 10 weeks, they ‘break you down’ from being a civilian to becoming a soldier and eventually earning your US Army patch. Trainees are taught everything from army history, army values, theory and practical training; sleeping outside plus self-defense with and without a weapon.

For Nelson, training took place at Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia and from the onset, she realised the degree of difficulty would have to be something she embraced and not evade. “I’m older now so it was really hard on my body but mentally I was prepared for it because I knew it would not be easy,” said the 31-year-old and former Miss Universe Jamaica finalist. “Me nah lie, it was rough. There were days I felt like giving up but I knew I had so many people supporting me, from my mom, my friends and so I prayed about it.”

Before this, she admits that she had drifted away from God as in 2022, her uncle was murdered and months after that, her aunt died from lung cancer. “I remember that first week when they allowed us to go to church on Sunday. They cater for every religion so it doesn’t matter what or who you worship, you will get the time to go to your church. I remember that first Sunday something within me broke and I just started crying and I’m like ‘God, I know I want this but I don’t know if I can do this,’” Nelson recounted. “This has been my dream since I was a teenager and now that I’m here I don’t know if I’m going to make it.’ And something said ‘Don’t give up, you’re going to make it.’ And from that day, no matter how hard the training got, no matter how low I was feeling, no matter how bad my body ached, I knew I couldn’t give up. He said he wouldn’t leave me and I know He didn’t bring me that far to abandon me. So I kept pushing and pushing. I have to be on that field for graduation.  I said God get me over that first finish line and I promise you, I will do everything within my powers to get to the second.”

Her promise to God to keep going meant that by any means necessary she was not going to get recycled in the system as being ‘recycled’ meant having to stay and train an extra five months. So when the names were being called for the final graduation and her name was on the list, she started crying while saying to herself  “how many years later I am accomplishing this dream”. 

The hardest part through it all she shared was not being able to freely communicate with friends and loved ones as frequently as she would like because phone usage is severely restricted during training. It’s a policy to ensure recruits have to keep focus without the distraction of technological devices. “As soon as you get off that bus, your phone is no longer yours. They take it from you,” she said. “You get five minutes on a Sunday to call and say ‘hey I’m still alive, I’m Ok. Nothing is broken; I still have all my body parts.’”

“And if they feel nice enough, you get an extra 30 minutes,” Nelson added. “So with all of that, you feel like you’re alone but when you get centred you know that you are not really alone because of that support system. But not having a phone to call my mom when I’m feeling down really drew me closer to God. I started reading my Bible and trusting Him more. It was me and Him basically out there.”

The loneliness was exacerbated by the fact that she was a stranger in a strange land, but she adapted fast enough to accomplish her dream. Though she was initially the only Jamaican in the batch, soon two other ‘Yardie’ interns from Texas made their way on base. One from Kingston and a girl whom she actually knew from Old Harbour as they sang in the same youth choir when they were younger. Hearing that unmistakable accent was a giant relief “really cool to have people from home there” went a long way in making the process that much more doable. 

Still, the course is not for the faint of heart or the timid, and at times her mental fortitude was tested just as much as her physical capabilities. 

Nelson said: “When it came to marksmanship the day before qualifications I was shooting so badly, I don’t know what was happening. My drill sergeant pulled me aside and asked ‘What is going on with you? Tomorrow is the qualification and with these numbers you are not going to qualify. Your numbers are off.’ 

“Later I laid on my bed, stared at the ceiling and talked to God. The next day I loaded up, started shooting and when I was done he said go to the towers and get your numbers. I went to the tower to my senior drill sergeant; he looked at the paper, looked at me and said ‘Passed!’ I was like God we did it!”

Now stationed at Fort Stewart, Private First Class Nelson is a 19-kilo Armour M1 Tanker. “I drive and operate one of the most lethal weapon systems in the US Army,” she now beams with a deep sense of fulfillment. Though she has had her hiccups, Nelson has been steadfast in her training and was rewarded with being a squad leader for 13 weeks. Additionally, her platoon was the honour platoon for graduation having won seven streamer events and deemed the most disciplined.

Looking ahead, Nelson now aspires to be a sharp agent. 

“They are the ones who go out and talk to the young recruits and new soldiers on issues such as sexual abuse which is a real concern in the army. They coach them about what not to do while in the army so that they don’t fall in with the wrong crowd or do things that will be damaging to their career in the army,” she outlined. “They really stand on business by going to the training facilities and talking with the young soldiers and educating them on how to navigate and stay away from things that can be problematic to their future. 

“For me, it is about growth. I have already told myself I just don’t want to be just another regular soldier. I want to be one that exhibits discipline, integrity and most of all leadership.”