Alex Gilfiley grew up on a tiny Pacific Island of Yap Islands. This little island is in the Micronesian islands neighboring Guam, which is a sub-region of Oceania, comprising thousands of other small islands in the Pacific. The scarcity of education and jobs abound on the island, and opportunities for advancement are very limited. At a young age, as far back as third grade, Alex would pick fruits, nuts, and coconuts to sell at the local market for his bus fares to and from school. He worked on some low wage jobs starting in high school.

Though these jobs, one of which he was a cargo handler at the small island airport at night while going to school during the day, paid him just a dollar an hour, he always dreamed of a better life for himself. He saw a sticker that read - Army. Be All You Can Be an ...