Livonia Franklin grad trains to be Navy Warfighter, setting example for other girls

(FOX 2) - "She's falling in love with what she's about to do - you can't ask for anything more," said Wendy Neuhardt.

Wendy Neuhardt is the proud mother of 19-year-old Carolynn Daske, a graduate of Livonia Franklin High School and now in the Navy. She is a recent boot camp graduate now in training to become an electronics technician - a future Navy Warfighter.

"I raised my girls to know that when all else fails and things get rough and you need guidance and you need to know who you are, they're going to lead you in that direction," Wendy said. 

Another of Wendy's daughters, Nichole Day, is also in the Navy, something Wendy had always wanted to do when she was a teenager

"My goal, back in the day, I was going to be the first female to fly a fighter plane off an aircraft carrier because back in those days females weren't even allowed on aircraft carriers," she said.

And there's not a whole lot of women training to be electronics technicians. Overall in the Navy only about 20 percent of enlisted sailors are women, willing to put their lives on the line just like the men with whom they serve.

"Sometimes it is intimidating knowing that we could go to war one day but that is what I signed up for," said Carolynn Daske. "It is what I proudly wear this uniform for."

FOX 2 reached Carolynn via FaceTime after a long day at the naval education and training command near Chicago where she's training to work on navigation systems and radars on aircraft carriers and other ships.

"Being able to set an example for other young girls who may want to join the military but might be scared, like 'I'm not strong enough, or they might be stronger than me,' like that doesn't matter," she said.

What does matter is commitment, which is something Carolynn has in abundance, encouraging others to consider the military and happy to be making her mother - and family - proud.

"You know from her demeanor that she's going to accomplish everything that she's talking about," said Wendy. 

"It is a big sacrifice but at the same time, there is so much you can do with it - opportunities in the Navy and outside the Navy," Carolynn said. "It's just great all around. I love it."