16. Moving Up and Up
No longer an administrative specialist, Ihrke’s new role would be as Inspector-Instructor. They call the role I&I in military circles. It was more of a leadership role than she’d previously worked but still capitalized on her organization skills. More importantly, Ihrke found her value. “Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don’t have that problem,” Ihrke told the Daily Mail. ”I became part of something that was bigger than myself and I loved it.” It’s no wonder the Marines made this smart woman a sergeant before the end.