Meet the People Who Are Serving Our Country While Living at Home

This Memorial Day, WNYC is sharing some recent conversations with people in the New York/New Jersey area who are currently serving in the military.

These are reservists, full-timers and National Guard members who've become experts at time management, as they juggle military duties with jobs, full schedules, and family life.

Specialist Gabrielle Broadnax is a full-time student and a medic in the National Guard. That means this semester, while she was enrolled in six classes, she also juggled drill weekends and a part-time job.

"Time management is very important!" said Broadnax. "It’s definitely not impossible but it is very tiring, I'll say that. But I don’t regret any of it honestly. The National Guard has been a great experience for me."

Sergeant Hector Membreno in Bushwick, Brooklyn, is a Sergeant in the Army Reserves. He's also an army photographer who's graduating this week from Hunter College with a Masters in Fine Arts.

"My artwork is informed by my military service, and that sort've comes into my personal studio practice, which focuses a lot on how civilian population interact with the military broadly."

Hector Rene Membreno-Canales, army photographer.

(Hector Rene Membreno-Canales)

Lieutenant Colonel Kamal Singh Kalsi also serves in the Army Reserves and lives near Wayne, New Jersey. In his civilian life, he's an emergency room doctor and he runs the nonprofit Sikh American Veterans Alliance.

"Oh there’s absolutely no balance," said Kalsi with a laugh. "I wish I had two or three of me on certain days."

In 2010, he became one of the first Sikh-Americans to be granted accommodation to observe his religious traditions of dress.

Lt. Col. Kamal S. Kalsi, center, served as co-chair to the Military and Veterans Affairs committee for Governor Phil Murphy's transition team.

(Lt. Col. Kalsi)

"Being in the military is sort’ve a full time commitment even if you’re in the Reserves, because you always represent the organization," said Kalsi. "I wear a turban and beard as part of my religious uniform, but then I put on my military uniform and I'm part of this great organization, the US Army."