corpsman
My niece, Gaby Beach has had a very busy year. Following her graduation from nursing school, Gaby took a job at Wyoming Medical Center, where both she and her husband, Allen Beach now work. Gaby now works in the PCU, which is an area of the hospital for patients who don’t need to be in the ICU, but aren’t quite ready for the care they would get on a regular floor. Gaby really likes her job, and she has been assigned as the charge nurse periodically.
Because they both work at the hospital now, Gaby and Allen decided to buy a house near their work. They had been renting an apartment for Allen’s parents, Caryl and Mike Reed, but the place was far out in the country, and now that they were both working, they felt it was time for a 
home of their own. They found a great house that wasn’t too far from the hospital, and now they are working on making it their own, and enjoying the time with their dogs, Oly and Jasper. They’ve removed some trees in the back yard that we’re old and growing into power lines. They hope to build a garage in the back yard sometime in the near future, but for now they will most likely settle for a taller privacy fence.
Having school out of the way for now has been really nice for Gaby and Allen, who has a degree in Hospital administration. Gaby’s degree is in nursing, of course, and at some point, down the road, she plans to work toward her bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN), but for now she wants to just relax and enjoy her job and life for a while.
They have plans to go to Disney World in April. They have worked very hard, and a fun break will be awesome for them. I’m sure that after a cold winter, a trip to sunny Florida would be really nice. Gaby and Allen really love to travel, but with Covid, they haven’t been able to do much of that, making this trip to Florida a big deal. 
Covid has kept everyone closer to home these days, but now it’s time to live a little. I know they will have a great time.
Gaby and Allen first met when they were in the Navy, stationed at the same place. That is also where Gaby became interested in becoming a nurse. Being a Corpsman taught her so much about medicine, and so when she was done with her term of service, she went back to school to become a nurse, and she has become an asset to the hospital. Today is Gaby’s birthday. Happy birthday Gaby!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
After being honorably discharged from the Navy, my niece, Gaby Beach, who married my nephew Allen Beach on September 24, 2014, started working while Allen when to college to get his degree. Once he was finished, the plan was for Allen to work while Gaby went to school to get her degree. It was a good plan, because it allowed each of them to study hard, without having to work. They could devote themselves to their studies. While Allen now works as the department manager over referral, communications, ambulances, Gaby is getting ready to begin her second year of nursing school. Having worked as a corpsman in the Navy, nursing is a perfect next 
step for Gaby, who was a very good corpsman.
These days, when she’s not studying, Gaby has become very interested in house plants. She has a green thumb, and loves plants. She has decided to complete the “Let’s Grow Together In 2020” initiative. I looked over the program, and it would be really a cool thing to do…if I didn’t have a decidedly brown thumb. Unlike me, Gaby has a real knack for plants, and for arranging them. I know that her plants will beautify their home, and make it a healthier place too. Plants a good to have in the home…as long as you can keep them alive, that is. Gaby can do just that, and her plants are thriving. Her day 8 plant…the fastest grower was the Epipremnum Pinnatum or “Cebu Blue,” names I wouldn’t have known, had Gaby not posted them. I may not know much about plants, but I have enjoyed seeing Gaby’s 
posts about her adventures with them, and I look forward to the future posts as well.
Gaby ability to raise plants isn’t surprising, because she has a real knack for all living things. I am reminded of her work with therapy dogs during her Navy years. I’m ok with dogs, but I can’t say I’m “comfortable” with dogs. Cats yes, dogs…not so much. Gaby, on the other hand, is a natural. Dogs just instinctively love Gaby, as much as she loves them. And I think everyone in our family can understand that, because we have all come to love Gaby too. She brightens our world every time we see her. Today is Gaby’s birthday. Happy birthday Gaby!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My niece, Gaby Beach spent much of her post high school years in the Navy. She worked very hard to get there, and continues to be an exercise enthusiast, and an inspiration to many people who would love to have such determination to stick to a program. She needed to get in shape to get into the Navy, and she wasn’t going to let anything stand in her way, especially something like a lack of determination. Now, she works out just about every day, because she doesn’t ever want to go back to a time when she was not physically fit.
While in the Navy, Gaby had the opportunity to be involved in a program that brought dogs into hospitals for the purpose of healing through comfort. Gaby loved that program, and since my mother-in-law was in a nursing home the last 5 years of her life, I can attest to the value of these dogs. So many of the residents loved the dogs that belonged to employees of the facility, and who wandered around the facility, “making their rounds” as it were. They were almost like little canine doctors. The experience was precious. The work Gaby did there was a benefit to many people.
Gaby has been a student for much of her life too, because she wants to prepare for her chosen career in nursing. Beginning January 20th, she will begin the journey through nursing school, and we are all very excited 
for her. During her time in the Navy, Gaby worked as a corpsman, so nursing is right up her alley. She was stationed in Japan, when she met my nephew, Allen Beach, and they have been married for four years now.
While Allen was going to school, Gaby worked, and then once Allen was hired by Wyoming Medical Center, it was Gaby’s turn. They moved to Casper, and she began the pre-requisites for the nursing program. Once those were done, she applied and was accepted into the program, and now she is waiting excitedly for the semester to begin. Gaby knows a lot about the nursing field, having come from a corpsman background, so there should be no surprises for her in the program. It is an exciting journey, and I am excited for her. Nursing school is a lot of hard work, but I know that she will do just fine, and very soon, she will be Nurse Gaby. Today is Gaby’s birthday. Happy birthday Gaby!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
After serving in the Navy for six years, my nephew, Allen Beach decided that it was time to move on to get the education that he wanted, which is hospital administration. He began his Navy career planning to become a pilot, but an injury forced him out of the program early on. He then decided to become a Corpsman, and found that he had a knack for that. His first duty station was in Bethesda, Maryland at Walter Reed Rational Military Medical Center, a term of service he was very proud of. While there, he was one of the EMTs who took care of the medical needs of the first family.
After his term at Walter Reed Medical Center, Allen was stationed in Japan, which is where he met his future wife, Gabby, who was also a Corpsman stationed at the same base. Needless to say, Allen was very happy with his time in Japan, and meeting the love of his life. After that, Allen left the Navy, and for Gabby’s final year, they were stationed back at Walter Reed Medical Center. Now that both of them are out of the Navy, they have decided to move to Casper, Wyoming so that Gabby can continue her education too. Casper College has an excellent nursing program, and that is her chosen field. So, upon their release from the Navy, the headed west.
At this point, Allen and Gabby are living in an apartment on his mom and step-dad’s land outside of town. I’m sure that is quite a culture shock to them after the hustle and bustle of the Washington DC area. In addition, 
they are getting used to the winters in Wyoming. Not that they never got snow in Japan or in Washington DC, but I don’t think they had the winds like we have here. One nice thing about the move was the ability to be closer to family. Allen and Gabby were able to spend Christmas week in Rawlins with the family there, and they all had a great time. They have really taken to country living, and other than the severe cold causing their pipes to freeze, life is good. Allen is still looking for a job, so once he gets a job they will be set, as his classes are online. We are very proud of all of his s accomplishments, and we know that the future will be bright for both of them. Today is Allen’s birthday. Happy birthday Allen!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My niece Gabriela Franco-Arizola Beach is a corpsman in the United States Navy. She met my nephew Allen Beach while both of them were stationed in Japan. The two of them had more than just the Navy in common. They both love being fit and working out. In fact, Gaby is a fitness instructor at her Command. I’ve seen some of the videos and her workouts, and I can tell you that she works out hard, and nothing is too difficult for her. Gaby thrives on work outs, and the challenge of something harder to do is right up her alley. I’m sure that is part of the reason she wanted to join the Navy. The physical fitness part of the service was very appealing to her, and continues to be a big part of her life.
Workouts are not the only activities Gaby enjoys, however. She loves rock climbing and jogging with their dog, Jasper. Gaby love to go camping and loves to travel. I’m sure that the Navy was a way to see the world. For many of us, travel is expensive, and therefore limited, but when you are in the service, you can be stationed in many exotic places. Gaby and Allen have been to Japan, of course, but also to Bali, Indonesia, which is where Allen proposed to her. They were married in Japan on September 24, 2014, and now live in Washington DC. They both attend college, and she continues in the Navy, at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
Gaby’s work at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center is one I find extremely interesting. Gaby is a dog handler. The dogs she deals with are very special. You see, these dogs are therapy dogs. Mostly what they do is visit patients in hospitals to help them feel better. You may have seen this kind of dog in hospitals or nursing homes in your area too. The nursing home my mother-in-law is in has dogs that are allowed to roam the halls. The dogs basically make their rounds, to patients that are helped by them. There are dogs that are specially trained, like the ones at Walter Reed. These dogs are specially trained to work with the wounded warriors, as well as other patients. Therapy dogs really help to put patients at ease. Gaby’s work with these dogs is an 
important part of teaching the dogs to be an integral part of the healing, and I find that very interesting.
I don’t know where Gaby’s studies will take her, but I’m sure she will succeed in any field she chooses. She is a very determined young woman. She is talented in a number of career choices, so I guess she will just have to decide on what makes her happy. For now, she still has a year or so in the Navy, so she has time to decide. Today is Gaby’s birthday. Happy birthday Gaby!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My nephew, Allen is his Grandpa Spencer’s namesake. He was named Allen Spencer Beach, so that our dad’s name would be carried on for another generation, in the only way that a family of daughters could give him a namesake. While his name tied him to his grandpa, he also followed his dad’s lead, and joined the navy. Now he is a Corpsman. He has spent time at Bethesda Naval Hospital, and he is currently stationed in Yokosuka-shi, Kanagawa, Japan, at the Yokosuka Naval Base. He went to Japan in September of 2012, and has a little less than a year left in the Navy, and while he has enjoyed Japan, and feels like it has been a great opportunity, he is nevertheless ready to come back to the United States. His time in Japan has not been a lonely time however, because he met a lovely girl there named Gabby. She is also in the Navy and is a Corpsman, so they have a lot in common. They have been dating for about a year now, so we will see where that leads. Gabby is from Oregon, so where Allen will end up could be tied to how that relationship goes, but Allen has pretty much decided to go to college when his time in the Navy is done. When his mom, my sister, Caryl and her husband, Mike visited Allen in Japan in August, he and Gabby showed them all the sights, navigating the train system there like experts, even though everything was written in Japanese.
Allen is very much into photography, and has taken some amazing photographs. He has a real eye for it…one that few people possess. I particularly like the one he took of himself walking away from the camera, and holding another camera. I really wish I had saved that one, because it would have been a great one to use here. I think Allen could go into photography as an occupation, perhaps as a journalistic photographer, if that was what he decided to do.
But, Allen’s interests lie in a different direction right now, and oddly enough, that is similar to 
yet another relative in the family…Louis Emery Freese. While they are not blood relatives, because Louis married into our family, they share an interest in making instruments, like the guitar and violin. Louis imported his wood from Germany to make the violins he made. Crafting instruments is a wonderful skill to have, and not only would it be profitable, but it would be very rewarding too. Those instruments are beautiful works of art. The craftsman who has the skill to make those instruments has a great skill indeed. Allen says that would be his dream occupation. I hope he is able to realize that dream. Today is Allen’s birthday. Happy birthday Allen!! Have a wonderful day!! We love you!!
