This is Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. It's here in classrooms, dormitories and on a campuslike post that registered nurses become something more, something special in their black berets, camouflage fatigues and combat boots.

It doesn't matter how or why they came to the military. It doesn't matter where they earned their nursing degrees or where they are going. At graduation from the Officers Basic Course after 10 weeks, they are all Army nurses, with an emphasis on Army. They are soldiers, officers and leaders.

Three RNs chosen by the command of the AMEDD Center and School spoke with NURSEWEEK about their Army experience so far and their aspirations. Once or twice a year, we will try to catch up with 2nd Lts. Franchesca Desriviere, Rahul Lall and Jeanie Rhodes, wherever their nursing careers take them.

Jeanie Rhodes, RN

Fairfax, Va., is home for Rhodes, 23, who grew up with a father in the U.S. Coast Guard. It's not surprising, then, that the military was in her future. At George Mason University in Fairfax, she was enrolled in ROTC. But nursing hadn't crossed her mind yet. She was a computer science major.

"I took an internship and decided that was something I didn't want to do," Rhodes said. "I was a lifeguard and taught swimming for five years and I really liked the first-aid aspect." So she switched her major to nursing, earned a bachelor's degree and committed to the Army for four years of active duty.

"I didn't realize the amount of leadership experience I would gain from this situation," Rhodes said of the Officers Basic Course. It's an in-depth study of the Army, its chain of command, standard operating procedures and elements that every officer must have. "It's actually turned out to be a great thing, because I've had to prepare myself to be in a leadership position and that entails a lot of extra work besides school," she said.

This training for her comes on the heels of a three-week airborne school.

"It's really physical for the first two weeks. The third week, that's when you get to finally jump out of airplanes," Rhodes said. "You do two Hollywood jumps, which is a jump without any kind of equipment. And then you do three combat jumps. You have all your gear on. You have your ALICE (All-purpose, Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment) pack and you've got your weapon on your side.

"It was very intense. And it was a great feeling when you graduated. It was like a huge confidence builder," she said.

Her next stop is Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. She said her interest is in intensive care or a step-down unit, but her assignment will be determined "depending on the needs of the Army."

Franchesca Desriviere, RN

Walter Reed is Desriviere's destination, too. "I'll be doing med/surg for the first year because I'm a new graduate and I don't have any nursing background. So that will be my foundation," she said.

Desriviere, 25, was born in Port au Prince, Haiti, and became a naturalized citizen two years ago. New York City is home. She joined the Army-a direct commission nurse-with a bachelor's degree from Molloy College in Rockville Centre, N.Y., and was given a course guarantee to later choose specialized training in medical/surgical, emergency, intensive care or obstetrics and gynecology.

She once was a premed student and said she probably will choose intensive care training to practice that aspect of nursing. Ultimately, though, she plans someday to open an obstetrics clinic as a nurse practitioner with a specialty in midwifery in Port au Prince or perhaps a Third World country.

On an introductory tour of Walter Reed, Desriviere said she was impressed with the leadership opportunities afforded relatively young nurses. "You can come on your unit and within the first month be in charge of putting everybody's schedule together," an administrative path that might take years to follow in the civilian world. "Of course, they have people to help you, but because you're a leader, you're an officer, you're expected to be able to do that right off the bat."

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