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Milwaukee, WI. - Carol Haertlein Sells raised her hand Friday and swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic.

It's the same oath thousands of Army officers have taken before Sells, but the Random Lake woman is different from most second lieutenants finishing Officer Candidate School.

She's being commissioned as a captain; she didn't go to Officer Candidate School; and she has grown children, including a son who is about to deploy on his second trip to Iraq.

Also: Sells is 58.

It's not often the Army gets new recruits who are eligible for membership in AARP. But Sells doesn't fit the profile of an average Army recruit.

She's a professor in the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Department of Occupational Therapy, and she's joining the Army for a two-year commitment to oversee a new doctoral program in her specialty at Brooke Army Medical Center. Sells, who has been teaching full time at UWM since 1982, reports for duty March 21 at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio.

She'll oversee five students admitted to the 18-month program open to Army occupational therapists who already have their master's degrees and want to earn a doctorate.

"I am so excited to have this opportunity and honored," Sells said.

Though Sells' late father served in the Marines during World War II and her 25-year-old son Joe Leonardelli graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, Sells never considered the military for herself -- until she visited Brooke in September 2007 with a group of health educators and toured the impressive state-of-the-art facility where the majority of military medical personnel receive their training.

During the weeklong visit, Sells met with the chief of occupational therapy, who told Sells she was interested in writing a grant proposal to set up a doctoral program. Sells had experience writing grant proposals and offered to help.

When Sells returned home, she contacted the project coordinator at the National Institutes of Health.

"This woman said it would be easier to do the research if you were in the Army," said Sells. "It was like, 'ha, ha, ha.' I hung up the phone and thought 'Hey, I could join the Army.' "

After talking to her husband and giving the idea a lot of thought, she picked up the phone again.

Of course, it's not every day a recruiter gets a UWM professor of occupational therapy on the line.

The reaction from the Army? Enthusiastic.

Maturity valued

"Certainly, Ms. Haertlein Sells' age is quite rare, but her skill set and profession will be very valuable to us," said Capt. Wendy Fordham of the Army Medical Department recruiting station in Milwaukee. "In the Army we understand that if you want people with a certain skill set or qualifications -- that comes with maturity."

Sells is joining the Army at the right time because of the new Officer Accession Pilot Program, which allows qualified health care professionals to serve two years as commissioned officers, said Fordham, a registered nurse. After the two years, there is no further commitment, though they can extend their service in either active or reserve status.

Fitness test required

Still, it wasn't easy. Sells needed age- and pay-grade waivers and must pass the physical test when she arrives at the base, which, for her age and gender, will be running two miles within 24 minutes, 48 seconds. She must also do 26 sit-ups in two minutes and seven push-ups in the same amount of time. Sells has always been fit and runs regularly, but she's been practicing sit-ups and push-ups for the test.

Since Sells is taking on a specialized position at Brooke, Fordham said it's highly unlikely she will deploy overseas. However, like everyone else in the military Sells will serve at the discretion of the Army.

Though Sells will take a hit financially because her captain's pay won't be as much as her professor's salary, she will receive a housing allowance and other benefits. She's taking a leave of absence from UWM for two years.

Another instructor will take over the class she's teaching this semester, and Sells will continue helping a few students she's been working with on their advanced degrees, said Ginny Stoffel, chairwoman of the occupational therapy department.

"Collectively, the faculty, staff and students are just so proud of what Carol is doing. It's a great inspiration for all of us," said Stoffel.

Another who is proud is her son, a first lieutenant in the Marines who's shipping out to Anbar Province in Iraq later this month.

Leonardelli found out his mom was trying to join the Army last April while he was stationed in Fallujah.

"I wasn't concerned she was going to deploy, but the notion of a woman I love very much joining the military, I was surprised. But once I got over the initial shock, I was pretty proud and supportive," Leonardelli said in a phone interview this week during a break in training at the Marine base in Twentynine Palms, Calif.

"The fact that my mom is contributing to the cause of those who are protecting our freedom, I think, is awesome."

A uniform adjustment

Instead of boot camp, Sells will go through a seven-week officer training course at Fort Sam Houston.

She's looking forward to wearing a uniform and knows it will be an adjustment to change from the collegial atmosphere of academia to the hierarchical environment of the military.

It may be an adjustment for some in the military, too.

When Sells was at Fort McCoy recently, she stopped to buy some T-shirts to wear for physical training. The clerk told her that because of a shortage of shirts in Sells' size, only active duty soldiers could buy them.

"Maybe they thought I was retired or was someone's family member," said Sells.
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