By SARAH BELLIS

News-Times intern

When Braighan Buckley enlisted in the U.S. Navy at just 17 years old, she was still learning who she was. Within months, she was stationed overseas, wearing a uniform, and commanding authority as a master-at-arms — the Navy’s version of a police officer.

“I joined at 17,” she said. “And then suddenly I was in Japan. I turned 18 there. It was crazy. Being a police officer, you really have to have a voice — you have to tell people what to do. I was never like that before. I had to learn confidence fast.”

That confidence became one of the biggest lessons she carried from her nearly seven years of military service — lessons that would later serve her in entrepreneurship, higher education and motherhood.

After her time in Japan, Buckley was unexpectedly stationed at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island — a posting that wasn’t on her list but soon became home.

“I really wanted to go to Texas,” she laughed. “Whidbey wasn’t even on my radar. But I fell in love with Washington.”

When her service ended, the transition to civilian life was more emotional than she expected.

“The hardest part was losing that built-in community,” Buckley said. “In the Navy, you have automatic friends and family wherever you go. When I got out, I had to find that again.”

Financially, Buckley managed to change using her GI Bill and disability benefits, but emotionally, she struggled to redefine her identity. “In the military, purpose is given to you,” she explained. “When I got out, I had to create it myself.”

That search to purpose led somewhere unexpected — to crystals.

After years in a male-dominated field, she realized shehad lost touch with her femininity and creativity.

“I was surrounded by alpha males and structure,” she said. “When I started getting into crystals, it opened something up in me.”

Her interest grew when she moved in with a friend and fellow servicemen who introduced her to essential oils, spirituality, and crystal healing. “She really influenced me,” Buckley said.

In 2021, Buckley launched Gem Essentials, a small business that sells crystals, essential oils and other goods. What began as a personal passion quickly evolved into a local success story — her booth is now a familiar sight at markets across Whidbey Island and beyond.

She sources her inventory from a U.S.-based supplier she’s worked with for four years and curates every piece herself.

“It’s all stuff I personally love,” she said. “When people tell me they like my crystals, it means a lot — it’s my taste, my touch.”

Buckley describes her aesthetic as “whimsical and boho,” intentionally steering away from what she calls the “witchy” look common among other vendors. “I love the science behind crystals — their colors, their vibrations,” she said. “Even if someone just buys a piece because it’s beautiful, that’s okay. I just love that it makes people happy.”

Community has been central to her success.

“Some of my closest friends now started as customers,” she said. “I even had a high schooler once take the bus from Oak Harbor to Coupeville just to buy crystals from me. I will always remember that.”

Buckley didn’t stop at entrepreneurship. She completed her bachelor’s degree in Homeland Security after the Navy, then went on to earn a master of business administration. Today, she’s pursuing her doctorate in business administration while expecting her first child.

“I just keep going,” she said. “In the Navy, life was all about evaluations and promotions. Now I treat life the same way.”

To support her growing family and invest more in her business, Buckley recently accepted a government contracting job at NAS Whidbey. The role allows her to stay connected to the military community while pursuing her long-term goal of expanding Gem Essentials online.

Still, the recent government shutdown has added challenges. “We’ve been furloughed for almost three weeks,” she said. “It’s hard not having that steady paycheck, but we’ll get back pay. I’m trying to look at it like unexpected time off before the baby.”

Due in early December, Buckley is already preparing for the next chapter — balancing her government job, doctorate program and small business while raising a newborn. “I’m hoping to work from home part-time after maternity leave,” she said. “If not, I’ll have to rethink things. Daycare waitlists are long and expensive.”

Her ultimate goal? To keep her identity intact. “I’m determined not to lose myself in motherhood,” she said. “I don’t want to stop learning or creating. That’s just not who I am.”

For other service members facing transition, Buckley offers simple but powerful advice: keep pushing — and get support.

She credits therapy with helping her navigate everything from career choices to anxiety and identity. “When you get out, no one tells you what’s next,” she said. “You have to build that structure yourself. You have to keep going.”

From enforcing the law on naval bases in Japan and Whidbey to building a life filled with color, creativity,and community on the Island, Buckley’s story reflects resilience — and the freedom to evolve.

“I used to think purpose was something someone handed you,” she said. “Now I know it’s something you make for yourself.”

Braighan Buckley is a vendor at an event.