Unshattered Glass
Volume 1: Brooke Isn’t Broken
by
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The auditorium was dimly lit as our small group filed into our designated seating. As I made my way to my seat, I finally spotted a familiar face! She was three rows in front of me but welcomed me with a beautiful smile and energetic wave. “Hey, Lisa! I didn't know you were slated to come here this year. I know the Vice Admiral is freaking out without you,” I chuckled. “Oh he’ll be fine. Hubby is tagged in with the kids… so I can focus on school. You look great Brooke! Been in the gym?” she asked. I was genuinely flatter by her compliment, as she was top tier in the beauty and brains department. She had three master’s degrees, two beautiful children, and a husband who was military but supported her ascension. She was stunning. She was tall, fair skin with freckles and gray eyes. She had a smile that would light up a room and a personality to match. She was currently serving as an Admiral's aide de camp for a prominent medical command I used to worked for. I met her through passing but developed a formidable sisterhood with her. Her and her husband were both active duty officers and experienced some of the prejudices in our world. She was African American and her husband was an equally attractive Korean and black active duty officer. They had one three year old, a 1 year old, and was in the process of trying for their third child. We finished up our friendly banter and took our seats as the dim lights transitioned to darkness. I reached in my pocket to silence my phone when the narrator began to introduce the leadership inventory. I was fiddling with my phone but something about the voice of the Commandant sounded familiar. I chalked it up to my many leaders over the course of my career and proceeded to Lisa text to ensure she had my contact information. When I finally looked up to pay attention to words of that familiar voice, I froze as confusion washed over me. This has to be a terrible joke someone is playing on me because there is NO way the person standing up there is WHO I think it is. I began to become flushed with heat and lowered my head to take a few deep breaths. Brooke, you really stepped in it this time. How in the HELL was this happening? In a moment of quick thinking, I jumped up trying not to hyperventilate and excused myself to the latrine. As I exited, my phone rang, and the room collectively gasped in horror. I stood frozen as my eyes locked with our new Commandant. Terror shimmered down my spine as my eye came into focus and realized that this wasn't our first introduction. The auditorium was dark, so he could not really see my face but I saw his face and was mortified. I quickly tried to step past my classmates but was met by our instructor who was wielding a microphone in his hand. Dammit, I was caught by his gaze and his facilitator called on me expecting me to present a question. In my haste to exit, I didn't hear the call for anyone who had questions. This was an abnormal method of addressing the audience, as most briefs ask everyone to hold questions until the end. The facilitator handed me the mic and the Commandant asked “Going somewhere? Come down and introduce yourself to the class,” he said with a jovial tone. I slowly began walking forward and once I emerged from the shadows his look of surprise and intrigue flashed across his face. He too, knew who I was and took pleasure in watching me panic from the unwarranted attention. “Umm, yes Sir.” I stuttered. “Is there any tips you can give us to be successful during our tenure here?” I manage to say with fear gripping my chest like a vice grip. “Sure” he said with a smile and began listing all of the tips he felt necessary to have a successful vision for his schoolhouse. I handed the microphone back to my instructor and made a beeline to the exit, trying not to hyperventilate. I was really good when met with impromptu engagements but this was a bit outside of my scoop of operation. I cannot believe that THIS was the person I had my steamy “Heaux” experience with at a house party in a completely different state. I made my way to the latrine trying to violently expel those memories from my stomach, which was tied in knots with nausea. How, how,how can this be. He didn't have a wedding ring on and was insistent that he met his match. Our deeply transformative bathroom sex in the middle of a bustling house party of drunken hopefuls trying to cease the moment of 90’s nostalgia that filled the air.
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About the Book
The military prides itself as an unbreakable moral spine—an institution built on camaraderie, honor, and integrity, often upheld as the nation’s last true meritocracy. For many, that promise is real. For others, it is complicated. Brooke Walton understands both. A senior Naval officer with an impeccable record and a relentless sense of duty, Brooke enters the military believing—like so many do—that excellence, discipline, and loyalty will be enough. In many ways, they are. The military gives her access to rooms she might never have entered otherwise, challenges her to lead under pressure, and shapes her into a disciplined, capable officer trusted with responsibility and command. But alongside those opportunities exists a harder truth. Behind the uniforms and ceremonies is a closed system that can protect power at the expense of people—one where nepotism and false narratives take root, where silence is rewarded, and where justice is not always evenly applied. Sexual misconduct is too often minimized. Negligence too often escapes accountability. The cost of these failures can be profound. Told with unflinching honesty and sharp, often dark humor, this candid nonfiction account follows Brooke as she navigates both the promise and the peril of the military institution. She is brilliant and meticulous, sensitive and stubborn, deeply committed to the values that first drew her to serve—even when the system itself struggles to live up to them. She believes in order, not blind obedience; in loyalty, not silence. What unfolds is not an indictment, but a reckoning—a portrait of survival, leadership, and discernment inside a culture built on contradiction. Brooke’s journey moves through courtrooms and command halls, friendships and betrayals, moments of absurdity and devastating loss. Along the way, she claims her voice, her agency, and her humanity. Based on real events, Unshattered Glass pulls back the curtain with clarity and heart. It honors the opportunities the military provides while confronting the work it still must do. This is a story about growth, accountability, and what it truly means to serve with integrity in an imperfect system. This is not a story about breaking ranks. It is a story about standing upright—and helping the institution stand taller, too.
About the Author
J.J. Mercier is a twenty-year Army veteran with extensive experience in human relations and strategy. She owns several small businesses as well as Operation REVIVE, a nonprofit company that helps survivors of domestic violence. She graduated from Georgia Southern University with a bachelor’s in public relations and a Master of Public Administration. She is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta, Sorority, Inc., and is the mother of two boys. She lives in Alexandria, Virgina.