The PA profession was founded on the need to provide a pathway for qualified medics and corpsmen into civilian-based medical careers. MEDEX Northwest was in the forefront of this movement. This video follows four current day PA students from MEDEX Tacoma Class 1 (2015) as they transition from their time as medically-trained military personnel during the time of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts into their new careers as civilian PAs. In contrast, we hear origin stories of the profession from several members of MEDEX Seattle Class 1 (1969), each of whom came to this new occupation after military service during the Vietnam War. Each generation describes the role the military played in shaping their career in medicine, and how MEDEX Northwest and the PA profession answered that call.