I am the third of four children of immigrants who came to this country for a better life. Growing up, I understood that our country was unique in the resources and opportunities it offered. Of course, childhood was not without its challenges. Although I showed academic ability during my youth, many teachers told me that because of my gender and ethnicity, I had no place in society other than raising children and that I was not suited to university in particular. I felt that there must be more to life, but without really knowing it, and refused to let other people dictate what I could do for my country.

The idea of ​​military service was originally inspired by the example of my older sister and brother, who enlisted in the U.S. Navy. I wanted to follow in their footsteps, but I also longed for a college education. So I applied and was accepted to Texas A&M University, where I enrolled in the Cadet Corps; a four-year program that taught strict discipline and leadership skills. While at TAMU, I took every opportunity and studied abroad in Germany, France, Belgium, and Luxembourg to learn about the European Union. I was the first person in my family to graduate from college. I also met my husband through the program, but after receiving our degrees, we took different paths. He had completed his service in the U.S. Air Force, and I had the unique opportunity to earn my first master’s degree at the Bush School of Government and Public Service, where I earned a Masters in Public Service and Administration. Despite the challenges, I had the opportunity to learn in courses taught by former Secretaries of State and former Presidents. I also had the unique opportunity to study in Doha, Qatar during my graduate program. After graduating, I was finally able to live with my then-husband at his duty station, Malmstrom Air Force Base.

Although I initially faced the same challenges as many qualified military spouses when it comes to finding employment that coincides with their loved one’s career, I was fortunate to be hired by the Airmen & Family Readiness Center as a contractor to support the Wounded Warrior Program at Malmstrom AFB. Building the program from the ground up was tough. While it was difficult to network and find resources, the emotional toll on the Soldiers who were living through the worst events of their lives was even harder. Additionally, I gave birth to our twins during this time. Although becoming a new parent of twins would be difficult enough, I knew I still had to be there for the Soldiers. I refused to give up. Being able to help the Soldiers and their loved ones navigate the bureaucracy and connect them with the appropriate resources and benefits was truly rewarding. Being able to guide them on their path to recovery made all the challenges worthwhile, especially seeing them smile again as they planned for their future.

The Air Force then sent us to Kadena Air Base, Japan. I again experienced the pain of many marriages, quit a job I loved, and once again searched for meaningful employment. After countless applications, I accepted an excellent opportunity to work at the U.S. Naval Hospital. In this new role, I had the privilege of working in a dynamic joint environment where I was responsible for alleviating any major patient issues faced by the hospital command. I was again driven by the opportunity to help military members and their families dealing with difficult and serious problems in a foreign country. This service culminated in the planning and execution of the first-ever conference between U.S. forces and Japanese civilian hospitals to develop standard operating procedures for mutual aid in mass casualty situations. It was amazing to be able to positively impact our allied partnership even in the capacity of a civilian.

Shortly thereafter, we were then transferred to Volkel AB in the Netherlands. Due to the limited U.S. presence, there were no opportunities to continue in the same capacity. I was fortunate to be hired by the University of Maryland’s Global Campus Europe and am grateful to be able to serve the regional military members as both an advisor and professor of graduate courses in American government, leveraging my two Master’s degrees at the time. While it was truly gratifying to see the soldiers achieve their higher education goals and to be able to pass on the dream that I was fortunate enough to be able to realize, it was then that I had what I call my COVID moment. While I absolutely loved serving military members around the globe in a variety of capacities over the years, I still felt like something was missing. My dream of serving in uniform had not died.

Through my work with the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy, I was exposed to the Medical Service Corps, where I could use all of my experience to help both soldiers and their families. I wanted to use not only my professional skills, but also my experience as a wife and mother to break down barriers and provide access to healthcare for all. I knew that as a hospital administrator, I could positively impact all aspects of care through the Medical Group.

I knew I had to do this and my husband, who was always supportive, supported my dreams. The only challenge was that my two master’s degrees did not qualify me for the program due to a last-minute change in requirements. So, in the midst of COVID, while mentoring Airmen through their studies, teaching as a professor, and homeschooling my 6-year-old twins because schools were closed, I got my third master’s degree to qualify for military service and submitted my application.

Shortly after we transferred to Moody AFB, where my husband assumed command and established a new squadron, I was notified of my selection to join the U.S. Air Force. A short time later, I was scheduled to attend Officer Training School. I am eternally grateful to my husband for taking on the challenge of single-handedly providing for our family while bearing the burden of command while I completed Officer Training School and technical training. It was a privilege to begin my official Air Force career as part of the famous Flying Tigers and then be able to use my experiences from multiple careers to help the Airmen of Moody. I was fortunate to accept the challenge of leading the 23rd Medical Group through its transition to MHS Genesis and into the overall structure that would become the Defense Health Agency.

After the whirlwind tour of Moody AFB, we then flew here to Beale AFB where I had the wonderful privilege of working as a Dragon Medic for the Resource Management Office, advising the leadership team on budget management and personnel deployment. During my time here, another child was added to the family and my husband and I continue to be excited about our ability to serve our nation. Additionally, I was fortunate enough to serve under LEAP (Language Enabled Airman Program), which allowed me to utilize my language and cultural skills in support of the SOUTHCOM area of ​​responsibility.

I understand that this may not be the path to military service that most would expect. Ultimately, all I can say is that if it’s worth dreaming about, it’s worth working for. I have found the world I knew existed. I am truly honored to serve and be counted among the soldiers in uniform.