FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. -- Graduating basic combat training for the Army is a major accomplishment for anybody. For one woman, however, Thursday was even more special.
Families gathered here Thursday to cheer on their new soldiers. The average age of a Basic Combat Training graduate is 23 years old. Sandra Coast is a little past that.
“You do the same thing day after day, and you just think there has to be more to life than this,” said Coast.
She served in the Navy for more than a decade. As a single mother, she quit to raise her son, Jeff, who’s a Marine.
“I thought it was crazy. I didn't think she was serious,” said Jeff.
Seeing her son in uniform inspired Coast, who lives in Ohio, to go back to the armed forces at the age of 51.
“Did your age make you nervous?” a reporter asked.
“Extremely; I really didn't think they would take me. With my age, I didn't think I stood a chance. But I walked into the Army recruit office. They called my bluff and here I am,” said Coast.
The recruiting process wasn't easy, but neither is life, Coast says. She spent several weeks beating the odds, training for battle.
“Just hurrying up all the time; at my age, you just don't hurry that much,” she said.
She even got one of the highest physical fitness test scores in her unit. Of course, this humble soldier wouldn't say so.
“At her age, we were wowed. She made us feel bad at first, but she is a true motivator and a great person,” said Melissa Pacheco, a fellow basic training graduate.
It wasn’t easy for a 50-something living with 20-somethings.
“There are a lot of great people but it's hard to live in that teenage drama environment,” said Coast.
She also received one of the highest honors: the Inspiration Award.
“If you really want something, you can get through it, regardless of the age. I'm really proud of her,” said her son.
“Are those tears in a soldier’s eyes?” a reporter asked.
“Yeah, we are not supposed to cry,” said Coast.
She has a soldier's strength, but a mother's heart.
“There's always something you can do. You only live once. You may not get that second chance,” she said.
Coast is one of the oldest people to go through basic combat training. She hopes to go to advanced individual training in a few weeks. Then, she has the dream of getting deployed.
