 My name is Mike Skanky. I'm a retired command master chief. I work for Congressman Rick Larson here in his Everett office in the district. And I do veterans outreach for the second congressional district. I'm also his liaison to the military bases. And then I do community outreach to Island County. I did 30 years in the Navy. My first 20, I was a fire controlman. So I worked long range, anti-air, warfare, Aegis weapon system and some predecessors to that. At about my 20 year mark, I chose to go command master chief. And so I finished up my time in the Navy doing that. I did five tours. One on the USS Kurtz. One at Commander Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command. One aboard the USS Tarawa, which is I think my favorite tour in the Navy. Then I was the force master chief for naval surface forces. And then finished up my career as the command master chief at Naval Station Everett. Well, I think with my job being outreach to veterans, my career kind of dovetails right in that. Because I bring credibility to doing that job in the district because I am a veteran. So my years of experience in the Navy helped me when I talked to veterans, whether the veterans from the Korean War era or Vietnam War era, I can understand where they're coming from when it comes to veterans' claims, when it comes to healthcare related issues, when it comes to all the things that veterans these days are concerned with. Because I've gone through the same process that they did. So I think it really helps me in my job. Well, I think we all continually grow and evolve as we get older. And I think that we learn something from every person that we come into contact with. So I think my time in the Navy has helped to shape me into the person that I am, into what my world view is. It's helped me in the way that I interact with people. It helped to raise my family. My kids both very successful. So I think my exposure to so many people over the course of my 30 years has really helped make me into the man I am today, really. Well, I would say for those that would like to join, make sure that they do it for the right reasons. And that it's an incredible thing. Whatever service they choose to join, I'm a bit of an affinity for the Navy, obviously. But whatever service they choose to do, go in there and go at it wholeheartedly and you'll come out a better person for it, whether you choose to stay for one single enlistment or you choose to make it a career. For those thinking about making it a career, I would say you can make no better choice.