Genevieve Douglas

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is part of a weekly series on veterans that runs Mondays through Veterans Day.

AUSTINTOWN — When Genevieve Douglas gave birth at age 18, she worried about their future.

“I didn’t want to be a welfare mom,” Douglas said. “I was terrified of having to rely on the system.”

Douglas, who lived in Euclid, tried to join the Army, but was not accepted because of her GED. The recruiter told her to cross the street to the Navy. Her first thought was, “Oh great, bell bottoms,” but she followed the advice.

She had to give up guardianship. She was close to the father’s family at the time, so his great-aunt consented. This became problematic.

“My family and his were battling over custody of my son while I was trying to get through training. I had to go home to go to court to get my son back,” Douglas said.

At age 22, she underwent basic training in Orlando, Florida, in June, where marching “made you feel like your feet are melting.” Most recruits were 18 and on their own for the first time. “Everybody was a big crybaby. I just wanted to get through this so I could see my son again,” Douglas said.

After basic training in 1994, she became a gunner’s mate, a new position for women. Her first ship was the destroyer, USS The Sullivans, named for five brothers killed during World War II. The job was physically demanding, as she had to load 70-pound powder cans and 80-pound ammunition.

In 2000, she took a new job, stating, “I wanted to be a small arms instructor because they said I couldn’t do it.”

She was back in Florida, this time in Key West. Her 9-year-old son was now with her. One of her duties was running the shooting range.

“FBI, local police and the sheriff’s department all used that range. I was the one who scheduled everybody, so if I got pulled over on US 1 they’d be like, ‘Douglas, get out of here.’ My son would say, ‘They like you, don’t they Mom?’,” she said.

Douglas said small arms was “what I enjoyed the most. I liked to see the light bulb come on when my students would finally understand and proceed to hit the targets.”

Next was another destroyer, the USS Barry, from 2002 to 2005, providing antiterrorism and force protection.

“This was right after 9/11. I taught people everything from shooting properly to detection. Everybody had to take this class so they could stand watch,” Douglas said.

She then worked at the Mid Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center building deluge valves, a fire prevention system for missiles. This was followed by becoming a career counselor aboard the destroyer USS Nitze, where she would “help people retire, reenlist or change jobs.”

Her last assignment was the aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower, running the armory and providing security.

“I went from 300 people on a ship to 3,000, and from 500 feet long to 3,000 feet. They even had their own Starbucks,” Douglas said. “I deployed on every ship several times.”

Some deployments lasted six to nine months.

“I liked it. It’s calming watching the water go past and watching it on the fantails,” she said.

The best part was the promotions. Although her family didn’t think she would succeed, she persevered for 20 years and was highly decorated for her service.

However, it wasn’t all positive. She underwent treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms related to “military sexual trauma.” Although her experience was extreme, she said it was not unusual.

“This is what we had to deal with because we were women. The only time I felt really comfortable was when I was down in birthing because I knew no guys were coming down there,” Douglas said.

She said she believes the environment is safer today.

Her physical health suffered as well.

“Everything is broken,” she said, including her feet, knees, fingers and shoulder. This is besides a 150-pound ballistic hatch from a weather deck falling on her head. “I had to go across the pier to another ship to sew up my scalp.”

Douglas retired in 2014. She worked in Cleveland and pursued a degree online in human resources management, which she ultimately completed at YSU in 2021, but she was ready for a change. Through Operation Homefront, she could afford a house, and when one became available in Austintown in 2018, she moved to the Valley.

When she met her new neighbor, Holly Niotti-Soltesz, they discovered they were both Navy veterans. Douglas describes her as a “guardian angel.” Thanks to her neighbor, Douglas joined American Legion Post 15 in Poland, where she is now sergeant-at-arms and in the Honor Guard. In addition, she runs their social media site and recently painted and stenciled Adirondack chairs for the upcoming Celebrate Poland.

Last year, Niotti-Soltesz took Douglas to the firing range in Austintown, observing, “She’s a gun girl. She will tear down a pistol and put it back together in 30 seconds.”

While there, Niotti-Soltesz asked staff if they were hiring. She was told their female instructor was about to leave and they needed someone. She said, “I got your girl right here.”

Douglas said, “I thank her every day.”

She has been at The Training Range since October, working three days per week as well as offering one-on-one instruction.

Despite all the challenges, Douglas accomplished more than she ever thought she could, and she said she feels her Navy career developed her as a woman of character and a good mother. “I’m a sailor for life. Bad stuff and good stuff happens, but it made me who I am today.”