Finding your Pham

When I was appointed as a naval officer in 1995, my first duty station was Naval Hospital, Camp Lejeune, NC. I had traveled to NC once for a Regional Alpha convention. I had driven through NC once on my way to NYC. However, I had never lived there.

Anyone who has traveled to a new duty station is familiar with the routine of trying to get acclimated to the environment. The military has a fairly robust systems of entities designed to help new service numbers get adjusted to the new way of life.

As a young male officer, I was replacing another officer who was there and helped me get acclimated to it my job would be. I ran into quite a few senior African-American and listed officers who provide me feedback about the community. I ran into quite a few fellow black officers who also help me navigate the landscape.

But the thing that I was looking for, as a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity Incorporated, was my black Greek letter family. I wanted to know where other Greeks were. Fascinating Lee enough, the first month I was in North Carolina, I was invited to a get together of young black officers and one of the first officers that I connected with a Sigma (Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.) recognized me and I recognized him. Little did I know He and I would become closest of friends over the next 20+ years and be in both of each other’s weddings. I also got the opportunity to meet some dynamic AKAs (Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.) who would go on to be lifelong friends as well.

And of course, I had the opportunity to meet a couple of dynamic Alpha Brothers who would inspire me to become active in playing a crucial role in helping them charter a chapter in Jacksonville North Carolina.

I can’t speak about my time at Camp Lejeune without speaking about the impact that my new found family had on me. I survived the hurricane while hanging out with two AKAs. Another AKA broke me out of this need to not let people know where I was going. I regularly went to barbecue over at my Sigma Brother’s house. And I believe I stepped more with those graduate Alpha brothers in Jacksonville than I did when I was an undergrad.

The reality is one of the joys and perks of being a member of a black Greek letter organization is that you can find a family anywhere if you really want it. Connections that I made with the people I met at Camp Lejeune I still have to this day and almost every connection I have from that time period was with persons who are members of the divine nine. And I can truthfully tell you but I had a very divine time as a result of my time with the Divine 9.

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