Sara Brookshier, of Pendleton, gives thumb up during U.S. Navy training in 2009 before heading to Afghanistan. She would go on to be part of the first group of women in the Navy to work as mechanics on nuclear submarines.

PENDLETON — When Pendleton’s Sara Brookshier joined the Navy, she did not dream of being part of the first wave of women to serve as a mechanic on a nuclear submarine.

“It was kind of intimidating at first,” Brookshier said. “It was like, ‘I actually got selected,’ but I was super excited to be a part of the first wave, opening it up to other females.”

Petty Officer 1st Class Brookshier enlisted in the U.S. Navy’s late entry program during her 2006 senior year at Pendleton High School.

At the time, she ran cross-country in the fall, played golf in the spring and played drums with the high school band. Every year during Pendleton Round-Up week, she and her father, Boyd Brookshier, volunteered to be a part of the oxen teams for the Happy Canyon Night Show and Round-Up parades.

Sara Brookshier recalled preparing to graduate high school but not having any interest in attending college. While figuring out what to do, she decided to join the Navy to give herself some time to map out her plans and make use of her future G.I. Bill.

After graduation, she shipped off in the winter to train at the Navy’s Recruit Training Command at Great Lakes, Illinois, outside of North Chicago. Brookshier said her co-ed division was split between 20 women and 20 men.

“It was stressful,” she said. “They’re going to break you down and build you back up as a sailor. So there were some stressful times just getting into that mentality.”

Training and moving up the ranks

Brookshier powered through nine weeks of boot camp then attended technical school in San Diego where she learned the skills to be an aircraft mechanic.

After the completion of her courses, duty called.

Brookshier said she was stationed at Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada, where she helped maintain F/A-18 fighter jets. She served three years at the aircraft facility.

“I went from Nevada, did a short tour in Afghanistan, went to Guam and then I was recruiting in West Virginia,” she recalled. “And the Navy came out with a message saying they were looking for females to go to the submarines.”

Brookshier reminisced about being a child and touring the USS Blueback submarine at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in Portland. She was fascinated and wanted to work on subs when she had joined the Navy, but at the time it wasn’t open to females.

When the opportunity arose, Brookshier submitted her application. Never expecting to be selected, she said, she got the call in 2015.

Brookshier was among the first 28 women to be mechanics to work on a nuclear submarine.

She said she though it was great.

More transitions

“I went to Groton, Connecticut, which is where basic submarine school is, in August of 2016. I went through Basic Enlisted Submarine School and Auxiliary School for my new job.”

Through her school training she learned the ins and outs of submarines, how they function, casualty response and firefighting.

Brookshier said some of the challenges instructors faced was adjusting to women learning the program and having them stay inside the submarine. instructors had to make adjustments for medical screenings, for example.

“For the most part they were excellent,” Brookshier said. “They just treated us like sailors, which is really all we wanted. It was great. I think for the most part, they were very welcoming. “

Brookshier said her female colleagues felt excited to pave the way for other women. Introducing women to step into a new work environment sparked a great sense of exhilaration during the program.

“Go for it. Challenge yourself and keep at it,” Brookshier said. “Growing up in Pendleton, being around the rodeo, it was a male dominated life, and I would just set out and do the job and prove that I could do it. I continued that in the Navy. So if you want a challenge yourself, go for it.”

Brookshier became a machinist mate auxiliary 1st class. She earned her “dolphins” — submarine warfare pin, considered one of the hardest U.S. Navy pins to obtain — and merited the Aviation Warfare and Surface Warfare pins.

Brookshier, 36, is stationed in Hawaii. After 18 years of working in the Navy, she is considering stepping into retirement when she reaches her 20-year mark.

Upon returning to civilian life, Brookshier said she plans on going to school somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. She said she wants to travel to Thailand and New Zealand and — of course — continue exploring.