My Professional Bio

After graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a degree in Operations Research and Systems Analysis, I survived my short tour at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, for the Engineer Officer Basic Course and escaped to beautiful Fort Lewis, Washington, where I joined the 864^th Engineer Battalion.  They loved me so much they sent me back to Fort Leonard Wood for the Sapper Leader Course.  When I returned, they put me to work and showed their appreciation for my labor by giving me silver first lieutenant bars and taking me to Iraq with them.  They were so appreciative, they gave me to the 14^th Combat Engineer Battalion so I could stay even longer in Iraq.  How sweet!  The 14^th Combat Engineer Battalion enjoyed my company enough that they kindly brought me back from Iraq with them, and were so grateful for my service that they sent me…yet again…back to Fort Leonard Wood for the ENFORCE Conference 2004 so I could receive my Grizzly award (2004 Outstanding Engineer Platoon Leader, Active Army).  I couldn’t begin to thank them enough, but they sent me back to Fort Leonard Wood to get my captain bars and take part in the Command and Staff Course…and so I am now, once again, at beautiful, magnificent Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.  Rah.  Rah.  Rah.  I don’t know where I am going from there, but I know it is definitely not going to be Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri!

West Point

I entered the United States Military Academy at West Point as a New Cadet of the Class of 2001 back in June of 1997, only 10 days after graduating from San Luis Obispo High School.  My class had the dubious distinction of being the almost-Bicentennial class, and losing out to the Class of 2002 on all the special privileges available.  We were the last class to have a real Plebe year, and the first class to experience some of the new changes to be implemented (translation: we were the guinea pigs for changes so the Class of 2002 could experience the real thing).  During this time, I participated on the Corps Squad (varsity) Track and Field team, my Cadet company Sandhurst team (a military challenge similar to the ROTC Ranger Challenge), the French club (cheap trip to Paris), the Drama Club (very cheap Broadway tickets), the Pi Mu Epsilon Mathematics Honor Society (yes, I am a geek), and other Cadet activities known euphemistically as “spirit missions.”  I started off in Company F, First Regiment (Go Friars—before they were known as the Firehouse), and later moved to Company D, First Regiment (Go Ducks!)  I branched Engineers, chose Fort Lewis for my first post, and graduated and received my commission in June of 2001.

 864^th Engineer Battalion

As a brand new second lieutenant, I entered a very large queue waiting for a platoon and spent my time learning more than I ever wanted to know about company logistics and maintenance.  I took over the Headquarters and Support Company’s Equipment Platoon in September 2002, and with its full complement of bulldozers, bitum distributors, dump trucks, transport trucks, hydraulic excavators, and other fun stuff, along with a personnel complement of forty-some-odd people, I had the largest platoon in the battalion.  I was promoted to first lieutenant in December 2002 with my platoon watching—and ready to scrub off the proverbial butter bar (i.e. I got drenched with a nice chilly cooler as tradition dictates).  I deployed with EQ to Iraq in March 2003, where we cleared three lanes in support of the initial border breach, created numerous helipads for the 101^st Airborne Division and the 11^th Attack Helicopter Regiment, constructed protective berms for countless neighboring units, and repaired over a dozen craters on the airfield in Balad, Iraq, to prepare it for military use.  I handed over EQ to 1LT Sarah Cullen in August 2003 after receiving my bronze star and a nice kick in the patootie to go with it, in preparation for taking a platoon in the 14^th Combat Engineer Battalion.

14^th Combat Engineer Battalion

In August 2003, I became the 14^th Combat Engineer Battalion’s first female platoon leader, taking Support Platoon in Headquarters and Headquarters Company.  My responsibilities to this platoon weren’t too different—instead of construction equipment, I had transport trucks, and instead of construction Soldiers (MOS 21E-21J), I had combat engineers (MOS 21B), medics (MOS 91W), fuelers (MOS 77F), and cooks (MOS 92G).  Still, we faced the same dangers and covered a much larger area of responsibility, from Tikrit almost to Mosul, providing engineer and logistical support where needed.  Our main battalion mission began securing and defending enemy ammunition supply points and later we cruised the highways, looking for improvised explosive devices.  We also supported the 4^th Brigade Combat Team when they needed a little bit of help with demolishing things.  As I am more of a destruction engineer than a construction engineer, I came in handy when it came to neutralizing these purloined Howitzer rounds (insert picture).  After an eight month stint with the 14^th, I brought my platoon home in late March 2004, where we began recovery missions and I became scuba certified.  I eventually handed over the platoon to 1LT Ryan Gutzwiler in June 2004 and took on the much hated logistical and maintenance responsibilities I received first in the 864^th—and became the company XO.  Three months later, I escaped to the Captains’ Career Course in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

Honors and Awards

United States Army Engineer Sapper Leader Course (2002)
Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, Class 02-02

United States Army Engineer Officer Basic Course (2001)
Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, Class 04-01
**During this time, I tested for German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge, and achieved Gold Standard

United States Army Basic Parachutist Course (Airborne) (2000)
Earned Army Basic Parachutist Badge
Fort Benning, Georgia, Class 03-00

United States Army Air Assault Course (1999)
Earned Army Air Assault Badge
Camp Smith, New York, Class 01-99

Awards and Decorations include: 

Bronze Star Medal, Army Commendation Medal (2), Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Overseas Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon

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Last Updated 28 December 2004

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