A Lehighton native experienced an epic journey while serving our country, and forged many lasting friendships along the way.

Aggie Schoenberger, a graduate of Lehighton Area High School, Class of 1982, served in the U.S. Army from 1984 to 1987.

“I wanted to get money to go back to college,” Schoenberger said when asked what made her decide to join the military.

Asked what it was like leaving home, Schoenberger replied, “I was 19. It was exciting.”

Schoenberger trained to be an MP at Fort McClellan, Alabama.

“ ‘60 Minutes’ did a story calling it the most contaminated place on Earth,” Schoenberger said. “Many of my fellow MPs have died, and many of the ones still alive have terrible ailments from being stationed there.”

From there, Schoenberger said she went to Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, where she was a traffic MP and went through El Paso Police Academy to learn how to be a traffic accident investigator.

Next, she went back to Fort McClellan to be trained to become a military police investigator, and from there went over to Germany (West Germany at the time) to work undercover.

“When I was a traffic MP, my job was to drive around and run radar until there was a traffic accident and then go to the scene and take control,” she said, adding that she would administer first aid if needed, order ambulances and back up cars and tow trucks, take measurements and photos of the scene, and write up the report and issue citations as needed. “When I worked undercover in Germany, I lived ‘off post’ in my own apartment. I worked with the local polizei on some cases.

“There was very little crime in Germany back then as the polizei carried Uzis and drove Porsches. I would work undercover in nightclubs, grocery stores, pulled surveillance on rooftops — all sorts of fun.”

Schoenberger added she was able to attend the famous Oktoberfest in Munich.

“I also remember Uncle Sam paid to have my little Subaru wagon shipped over to Germany — driving on the autobahn with no speed limit,” she quipped. “I fear that may be why I still drive a bit fast.”

Schoenberger said there were many moments that stood out for her, and that she felt “a great service/purpose” in serving our country.

“Looking back, one of the most memorable things was the friendships we made along the way,” she said. “When Facebook came out, many of us found each other again and joined groups and still keep in touch to this day.”

Schoenberger described what it was like returning to the states.

“Unlike the Vietnam vets, we (vets of my era through present day) have been welcomed and honored,” she said. “I came back expecting to join the Pa. State Police — took the written text and scored the third highest out of 4,800 mostly male applicants — but ended up taking a different path.”

Schoenberger said that for anyone who may be considering joining the military, it’s a very personal decision.

“Always count the cost before any big decision,” she said. “Speak to others who have been there.

“I served during peacetime and honestly, it was an amazing adventure from day one. But war is real and I’m a grandma now ... so my perspective is a bit more rounded.”

Schoenberger said she would “absolutely” serve our country again.

“For me, it was a very good decision that shaped my future,” she said. “I learned discipline, responsibility, leadership and so much about our justice system and our amazing armed forces.”

In 2007, Schoenberger opened Castle Gate Realty, and also started Peaceful Knights Homeless Shelters, both in Lehighton.

“It has been my amazing honor to serve the people of the community that I call home since I was a young girl,” she said. “We are all in this together and if we all just gave one hour per week to help someone who couldn’t pay us back, oh what a difference we could make.”