Rebecca D’Angelo Video Transcript
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[Interviewer] Welcome to the 1873 Speaker Series sponsored by the University of North Georgia Alumni Association. We're excited for you to hear today from one of our alumni, Lieutenant Colonel (LTC)
Rebecca D'Angelo, LTC Rebecca Wood D'Angelo was born in Atlanta, Georgia raised in Stone Mountain, Georgia. She graduated from North Georgia College and State University in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science. She commissioned as a Quartermaster Officer and her first assignment was the Assistant S3 of the 530th Supply and Services Battalion, in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In 2005, she deployed to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom III. Upon returning from Iraq, she was promoted to Captain. She deployed again to Iraq, and upon her return that time, LTC D'Angelo attended advanced civil schooling at North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, graduating in 2010 with a Master's in Public Administration. She attended Combined Logistics Captains Career Course at Fort Lee, Virginia, after which, she assumed a second command of the El Paso Recruiting Company, Phoenix Recruiting Battalion, El Paso, Texas. She was then assigned to US Army Central at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, where she served ten months as a commodity manager before becoming a G4 Plans Officer in 2014, where she served as the lead sustainment planner for Operation Inherit Resolve.
From 2015-2017, LTC D'Angelo served as the Executive Officer for the 10th Transportation Battalion in Fort Eustis, Virginia. In 2019, after completing a six-month strategic fellowship with the newly-formed Army Futures Command, the lieutenant colonel was selected to serve as the Executive Officer to Major General Marie Gervais, Director of the Synthetic Training Environment Cross-Functional Team in Orlando, Florida. On May 21st of this year, LTC D'Angelo assumed command of the 841st Transportation Battalion, North Charleston, South Carolina, which is where she is today.
Lieutenant D'Angelo, Lieutenant Colonel D'Angelo is the pet parent of dachshunds: Charlotte and Archer, cats: Freya and Arlo, and horses: Demi and Ebony Bird. She is passionate about horseback riding as a recovery source for wounded veterans and enjoys volunteering her time and knowledge with the equine and veteran community. Rebecca, thank you so very much for joining us today.
[LTC Rebecca D'Angelo] Thank you so much, Karen. It's a pleasure to be here.
[Interviewer] That's great. First, we're going to talk about "Following Your Intuition", which is the theme of our talk today. But first, I want to get some background about you. We know that you were born in Atlanta, you were raised in Stone Mountain, but I'm curious as to how you found yourself going to North Georgia College and State University?
[Rebecca] Well, I had originally planned to attend the University of Georgia on a swimming scholarship, but I missed the state meet that year because I had the flu. So there I was at the last minute, three months prior to graduation, trying to find a more affordable option for school. And I happened to see a poster in the hallway for a school with a beautiful gold steeple. And ended up going by their, their, brief and just made the decision to attend this little school up in Dahlonega, that I previously never heard of, North Georgia College and State University. So that's how, that's the story of how I ended up at North Georgia. It was literally just a poster in the hallway and something of a calling to see what it was all about.
[Interviewer] I think you're the first alum that I've heard that, that steeple drew you to Dahlonega, but I love it. We all love that steeple. It, every time I see it, it brings us, kind of brings us home. So that's great. Now, what was life like for you as a college student?
[Rebecca] It was busy. So I was paying my way through school and working a lot of jobs while also trying to be a full-time student. It's funny that when I was in the Corps of Cadets, which I didn't join until my junireor year, I was once referred to as the 'Milk-Carton Cadet' ... "Has anybody seen Wood?" It was very busy and unfortunately, I didn't have a whole lot of time for extracurricular activities, but I was pretty dedicated to getting through my, my major, and also being able to stay in school through my work endeavors.
[Interviewer] There are many students that are doing and have done the same thing that you described, and that is putting themselves through college. And I think that is something to be admired. That takes a lot of great work ethic to manage that and make that work. And it's great to know that we have people that have done that, and are doing that and then leave our school and have a great career because they chose to go and get a degree. So you are to be admired for that. No doubt. I know you didn't have much time, but were there any groups that you were involved in while you were a student there that might have had a particular impact on you?
[Rebecca] I was a member of the Academic Integrity Board and being selected for that was quite an honor. There were certain times that it was a tough, tough role to play, especially if it was someone that I knew or I had met before or anytime that you're faced with having to take action against a fellow classmate and especially in a situation that can be somewhat negative. But I think that helped prepare me for some of my experiences in the military, especially as an officer and having to sit on disciplinary boards or even adjudicated disciplinary actions.
[Interviewer] Wow, that's very interesting. I don't know that I've met anybody that served on that type of board, but I can imagine as a student, it was somewhat eye-opening and certainly put you in a position to really understand that you've got to listen to sides and you've got to make some, some tough decisions at times. So I appreciate you sharing that. What about professors or staff or classes that you were in that might've had an influence on you? Tell us something about that.
[Rebecca] Oh, course. I know we talked about this before with my, my math professor, Dr. Carol Parker, who I don't believe is with the University anymore, but I was not the best math student in high school and I was pretty terrified about taking math courses in college because I felt like I might be far behind. But Dr. Parker, she really, not only did I learn well from her, but she inspired a love of math in me. And thanks to her, I ended up taking a lot more math classes then I think I ever needed to, just because I enjoyed learning from her so much. And then also Dr. Dlynn Armstrong Williams was just a huge influence in my, in my love of political science. And I know she is still with the University, as the head of that department, and she just had such a tremendous impact on me. I also enjoyed her classes and would seek classes that she was teaching just because she was so passionate about it. And I also just really enjoyed the material that she would teach.
[Interviewer] It's great that we have those that come alongside us that lead us in a direction of "you can do this." "You've got the ability to do this." That encouragement goes such a long way and we're grateful for past professors and teachers that have helped us believe in ourselves. So that's, that is great. Now you mentioned already you did not become a member of the Corps until your junior year and that is pretty amazing. I don't know that I've heard anybody say that they waited until their junior year. I'm sure there are some, but, but I haven't met them. What made you decide to, to go ahead and join the Corps?
[Rebecca] Well, when I got to North Georgia, again, I didn't know that it was one of the six Senior Military Colleges in the country. So it was sort of a shock to see this was a full-time ROTC program. I started off, of course, as a civilian. And as I watched over my first two years in school, I couldn't help but feel this almost physical sensation, this, this urge, if you will, that that might be a better fit for me. And that I belonged over there wearing that uniform, singing those cadences and getting up very, very early to do PT. And again, it was a physical sensation. So I feel like that definitely goes along with trusting your gut and using your intuition. And so I made a very bold decision to enter the Corps of Cadets as a junior and start off as a FROG amongst all my friends that were already in the Corps. And it was a little tough at times. But it's a decision I've never regretted and it's resulted in a 20-year military career that I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
[Interviewer] Now, I think you told me that you changed majors as well during that time. Is that correct or am I wrong on that?
[Rebecca] It is. I feel like I totally reinvented myself my junior year. I stopped being a Chemistry major and switched over to Political Science. And again, that had a lot to do with Dr. Armstrong Williams. I enjoyed her class so much, I thought this is, this is what I feel a passion for, this is what I want to study. And that was a big shift too, so I had to go back and take a few classes to shift my major over and I wouldn't change that either. I'm so glad that I did that because by the time I left school, I not only had a degree that I was very passionate about, but I had a career to start.
[Interviewer] Wow, that just took so much courage. That is, that is amazing that you just totally flipped around and decided I'm going to be in the Corps, I'm changing my major and here I go. That, that is incredible. Now what do you think, and I've asked several people this, that had been part of the Corps, but what do you think you learned about yourself while you were in the Corps of Cadets?
[Rebecca] I think I learned that there's a lot that worked for me. It was a very tough personal decision. And it also was a big change. To be a college student, to be a civilian college student and switch over so mid-stream, to a more regimented and regulated college experience I think was, was a bit of a culture shock at first. But, the biggest thing I learned is, wow, I can, I can survive this; this wasn't so bad. And you learn a lot about how mentally tough you are or can be when you take such drastic changes, especially midway through your college career.
[Interviewer] Yeah. I know that in a previous discussion that we had, you stated and I'm going to quote you on this, "be the woman that is a champion of other women." Explain that statement.
[Rebecca] So women were a minority in the Corps and we are still a minority in the Armed Forces, and sometimes there is almost a ... a stigma that women have to be so competitive with each other. And I've found in my career experience that the more we work together and lift each other up, the more we not only make each other successful, but we make the organization that we're participating in successful as well.
[Interviewer] That is so very important. And we do hope that we continue to get more women involved in the Corps of Cadets at, at the University. You commissioned as Quartermaster Officer, and you said that there can be a stigma attached to some of the branches in the Army, and at that time, Quartermaster was perhaps one of those. But you also had someone who swore you in that said some very powerful words to you and why don't you share that and tell us how what effect that had.
[Rebecca] Sure. So the gentleman that I was referring to is Mr. Terry Wilfong, who at the time was serving as the Head of Cadet Recruiting. He, himself was a retired Army officer and he's the one that convinced me to sign my contract and seek a commission through North Georgia. When I got my branch as a Quartermaster, again, North Georgia is typically known for producing some outstanding Combat Arms Officers, so to get Quartermaster, I felt a little like I had let the school down and perhaps let myself down and was a little disappointed in receiving that branch. And Mr. Wilfong said, "No, not at all. You shouldn't be disappointed about that." He said, "In fact, one day you will find yourself being the most powerful person in the room." And I didn't understand what he meant about that at the time until several years later as I found myself on planning committees for campaign plans, especially going into Iraq. And the one thing about logistics is we are the difference between a click and a bang for the war fighter. Nothing happens without logistic involvement. And so it was like, eye-opening, especially to realize we are the cog in the wheel that makes all of this happen. And nobody can do their jobs if we don't do ours. That has been part of my passion as a logistician over the past 20 years ... is to always make sure that the war-fighter has what they need to win on our nation's behalf. And it's something I'm very proud to be a part of.
[Interviewer] That story just goes to show you that no matter what branch you get, you can make it the best. You can be the best in that, in that field. So that is so, such an encouragement I'm sure hopefully to those students and cadets that are listening. I believe they are actually finding out very soon, well, I don't know if it's this month or next month, but they're finding out their branch soon. So hopefully those will be encouraging words to all of them. Now you have been stationed at a lot of different posts. And just out of curiosity, is there one that is a favorite right now for you?
[Rebecca] Oh, absolutely. And it's the hidden jewel of the Army, Fort Bliss, Texas. A lot of times people try to not go to Fort Bliss. They've heard horrible things about Fort Bliss. And I'll tell you that those of us that have been there want everyone to keep believing that, so we can keep going back there. It is a tremendous community in the El Paso area. You have a mountain range literally just sitting there in the middle of the city that you can always look up at and see a beautiful sunrise or sunset. The culture in the area is so family-oriented and friendly and it's a very safe place to be, despite some concerns about border security. El Paso is probably one of the safest cities of its size in the United States. And I really enjoyed the work that I did there, especially my most recent assignment with 1st Armor Division, America's Tank Division, and getting them prepared for their various deployments. But I would probably give my left arm to get back to Fort Bliss.
[Interviewer] Well, we hope somebody's listening to this and maybe they will allow you to go back sometime. That's great. Now you assumed command of the 841st Transportation Battalion in North Charleston, where you are today. You received that in May of this year. And as we talked earlier, you said your, your job requires you to work with all the armed forces in what you do. So what skills do you think you have and, or you need to be able to coordinate between the armed forces in your line of work?
[Rebecca] Well, the first skill you need is patience because each branch speaks its own language. The Army speaks "Army", the Marines speak "Marine", and the Navy and the Air Force have their own languages. So you have to be patient and be willing to look at things through a different lens. But you also have to be willing to network and also talk and share experiences because the lioness task of moving various armed forces up and down the East Coast is one that requires a lot of coordination. It requires a lot of communication. And it's something that you need to be skilled at in order to facilitate.
[Interviewer] Wow, I can imagine that, that trying to coordinate between different armed forces and their way of doing things, there's probably a lot of give-and-take with that. And patience, certainly. You mentioned, in order to make things happen the way they need to happen. What advice, this is changing a little bit, but what advice would you give to students as we're talking about 'trusting your intuition' and you know what? Let me skip up. I'm skipping, I'm skipping around here. Let me go back to this 'trust your intuition'. You've mentioned that. And I think it's real important that we understand what you mean by that. So talk a little bit to us about trusting your gut, or trusting your intuition.
[Rebecca] So I, I feel like today's students especially, and I see this with my soldiers, especially the younger ones. We live in an age of information where so much is coming at you at any given time that it can be overwhelming to try to sift through that and make decisions and think about what is best for you or your family. And what I've experienced and what I've learned to trust over my 20-year military career is that gut feeling, that literal physical sensation that says, "this is the path I need to go on." I encourage students especially today to just sit with that feeling for a few minutes and think about what would bring relief to that feeling? What would make that burning sensation stop? And that's the path to follow. And that's how I ended up in the Corps and that's how I ended up changing majors as I thought about what will make this pulling sensation, this burning sensation literally stop is, is these choices. And I took those risks and they've all paid off very well for me.
[Interviewer] That's great. You definitely have made some great decisions, no doubt. Now, speaking of trusting your intuition, I'm sure you have to use that in your everyday life, in your career, in the Army. So can you give me an example perhaps of something that you, a decision you've had to make that you really trusted your gut on?
[Rebecca] Well, actually to take this command. I had a lot of options before me and there were definitely a few paths that my career could have taken. What I felt would quiet the storm was to, to seek this unit, the 841st Transportation Battalion. And I felt like this would be the command where I could have the most impact on the logistics community and the Department of Defense writ large. And I can't say enough that I'm really glad I followed that intuition. What we do here, our mission is the single port manager for the entire East Coast, for all DoD cargo. Brings a smile to my face every single day and I'm so proud of my team here and what we do to support all the armed forces around the globe.
[Interviewer] That's great. I'm sure they're glad you're there too as well. Now, what advice would you give to students that are perhaps in the midst of trying to decide ... Do I really want to stay in this major? Do I want to go to another one? Do I really want to be a part of the Corps, and if so, I'm already a sophomore or perhaps a junior or just in general. What about those trusting their gut for those decisions? What kind of, what kind of direction or advice would you give to those students?
[Rebecca] Well, so in addition to asking yourself, what would stop this pulling sensation? What would stop this feeling? Ask yourself, "what's the worst that could happen?" What is the worst that could happen? Spend a year in the Corps, if you don't like it, go back to being a civilian. Take some classes in another major and see if that scratches the itch that you have to try something different. Don't be afraid to try something. But also ask yourself what truly is, and use a very practical and logical lens when you ask yourself that question. Because if you insert emotion into it, you're gonna get deep inside your head. But ask yourself logically, what's the worst that could happen here? And see if that suits.
[Interviewer] That's a great statement. What, what you've shared is certainly something all of us can use, not just students in trying to make everyday decisions or bigger decisions. So that is great advice. Now, I know you're busy. You have an incredible responsibility in your position now. But I know everybody needs some downtime, some relief, some stress relief. So tell me some things that you do in order to have that downtime.
[Rebecca] Well, I certainly enjoy spending time with my multiple pets as we talked about in my bio. But I also not only enjoy horseback riding, but I enjoy teaching horseback riding and bringing that love of horsemanship to the next-generation. So that's something I get to do in my downtime and I enjoy very much. And then I also love exploring the various areas when I've been stationed, I've been fortunate to be stationed in some very historic areas, not just here in Charleston and El Paso, but also near Williamsburg, Virginia. And getting to explore a lot of places that were very essential to the birth of our nation. So I'm really passionate about exploring the various areas of our country and just seeing what all has to be offered in the local area.
[Interviewer] And it's great that you have a career, that you can go different places and explore all those wonderful places when you're, when you're on post and when you have opportunity to go out and see what's available outside of that, that's great. Now, speaking of horses, I have a good friend who has a horse and she just loves riding. And she told me that horses just really can speak to your soul. And I find that very interesting. She said they're very intuitive animals I have never been around horses much, so do you do you find that to be the case as well?
[Rebecca] Absolutely. Horses can recognize human facial expressions just as well as dogs. And they share a common ancestor with dolphins so they're incredibly trainable. They also have their own personalities. My two are very different in their personalities. One's much more of a diva than the other. But they also can hear a human heartbeat from about 6 ft away. And so they're very attuned to how you're feeling. If you're feeling nervous. If you're feeling anxious. And they can have such a calming presence. And it was Winston Churchill who once said, "The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a human."
[Interviewer] Oh, wow, what a great quote. That's, that's pretty amazing. I've never heard that about the heartbeat. I didn't know that. That is amazing that they can hear about 6 ft away. Incredible. Okay, last question. We ask all of those that we interview this question ... share something fun or funny that happened to you while you attended North Georgia?
[Rebecca] Well, it didn't happen to me personally, I just happened to be a group recipient of this, but we had. When we'd have closed weekends in the Corps, we could get pretty creative with how we would have some fun. And it was a particularly warm weekend in mid-fall that we had a closed weekend, I believe, for a parade. And I lived in the Second Battalion barracks in Gaillard Hall. And we transformed Echo hall into a water park, including having a slip and slide that ran out the back door, and also a couple of kiddie pools. And I'm not sure whose idea it was, but we all participated and had a pretty good time. And I really don't recall where all the water came from. It's, it's definitely one of those things attending a Senior Military College, I think you definitely have some very unique stories comparative to my peers that attended regular colleges. So that one sticks out as, just seeing everybody sitting in the pool in the hallway and a couple of folks running down the slip and slide. I just thought to myself, there's no other school on earth that you can have an experience like this.
[Interviewer] Well, obviously you get real creative, right? I'm sure clean-up was interesting as well.
[Rebecca I'm sure it was. I don't recall how it happened because I think I was at work. But I do remember seeing it and thinking, "Golly, where else could you see something like this?" And then I've also had that, seen, stuff like that in my barracks in my course of my career. And I'm like, you know what, I can't even be mad at you guys. We've done this too.
[Interviewer] That is great. Well, Rebecca, thank you so very much for allowing us this time to interview you. Man, you've given us some great advice and some wonderful ways that we can really think about and trust that intuition, especially when we have some very big decisions that could be career changing decisions, college major decisions. Those are important things that we need to know and to really give thought to when we're making huge decisions. So thanks again so much. There is no doubt you've had an incredible career in the Army and will continue to have, and you have made us so proud that you're one of our alums, so thank you.
[Rebecca] Absolutely my pleasure. And for any students who'd like to reach out to me, I'm happy to speak with anybody.
[Interviewer] Well, I'm glad you mentioned that because we will have on the screen Rebecca's email, and if you want to reach out to her and ask some questions, please feel free to do that. She's, she's allowed us to use that e-mail and she will get back with you when time allows. So thank you for sharing that as well. A huge thank you to the ǧÃŬAV Alumni Association for their support in sponsoring this series. And I hope all of you have a wonderful day.
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[Interviewer] Welcome to the 1873 Speaker Series sponsored by the University of North Georgia Alumni Association. We're excited for you to hear today from one of our alumni, Lieutenant Colonel (LTC)
Rebecca D'Angelo, LTC Rebecca Wood D'Angelo was born in Atlanta, Georgia raised in Stone Mountain, Georgia. She graduated from North Georgia College and State University in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science. She commissioned as a Quartermaster Officer and her first assignment was the Assistant S3 of the 530th Supply and Services Battalion, in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In 2005, she deployed to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom III. Upon returning from Iraq, she was promoted to Captain. She deployed again to Iraq, and upon her return that time, LTC D'Angelo attended advanced civil schooling at North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, graduating in 2010 with a Master's in Public Administration. She attended Combined Logistics Captains Career Course at Fort Lee, Virginia, after which, she assumed a second command of the El Paso Recruiting Company, Phoenix Recruiting Battalion, El Paso, Texas. She was then assigned to US Army Central at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, where she served ten months as a commodity manager before becoming a G4 Plans Officer in 2014, where she served as the lead sustainment planner for Operation Inherit Resolve.
From 2015-2017, LTC D'Angelo served as the Executive Officer for the 10th Transportation Battalion in Fort Eustis, Virginia. In 2019, after completing a six-month strategic fellowship with the newly-formed Army Futures Command, the lieutenant colonel was selected to serve as the Executive Officer to Major General Marie Gervais, Director of the Synthetic Training Environment Cross-Functional Team in Orlando, Florida. On May 21st of this year, LTC D'Angelo assumed command of the 841st Transportation Battalion, North Charleston, South Carolina, which is where she is today.
Lieutenant D'Angelo, Lieutenant Colonel D'Angelo is the pet parent of dachshunds: Charlotte and Archer, cats: Freya and Arlo, and horses: Demi and Ebony Bird. She is passionate about horseback riding as a recovery source for wounded veterans and enjoys volunteering her time and knowledge with the equine and veteran community. Rebecca, thank you so very much for joining us today.
[LTC Rebecca D'Angelo] Thank you so much, Karen. It's a pleasure to be here.
[Interviewer] That's great. First, we're going to talk about "Following Your Intuition", which is the theme of our talk today. But first, I want to get some background about you. We know that you were born in Atlanta, you were raised in Stone Mountain, but I'm curious as to how you found yourself going to North Georgia College and State University?
[Rebecca] Well, I had originally planned to attend the University of Georgia on a swimming scholarship, but I missed the state meet that year because I had the flu. So there I was at the last minute, three months prior to graduation, trying to find a more affordable option for school. And I happened to see a poster in the hallway for a school with a beautiful gold steeple. And ended up going by their, their, brief and just made the decision to attend this little school up in Dahlonega, that I previously never heard of, North Georgia College and State University. So that's how, that's the story of how I ended up at North Georgia. It was literally just a poster in the hallway and something of a calling to see what it was all about.
[Interviewer] I think you're the first alum that I've heard that, that steeple drew you to Dahlonega, but I love it. We all love that steeple. It, every time I see it, it brings us, kind of brings us home. So that's great. Now, what was life like for you as a college student?
[Rebecca] It was busy. So I was paying my way through school and working a lot of jobs while also trying to be a full-time student. It's funny that when I was in the Corps of Cadets, which I didn't join until my junireor year, I was once referred to as the 'Milk-Carton Cadet' ... "Has anybody seen Wood?" It was very busy and unfortunately, I didn't have a whole lot of time for extracurricular activities, but I was pretty dedicated to getting through my, my major, and also being able to stay in school through my work endeavors.
[Interviewer] There are many students that are doing and have done the same thing that you described, and that is putting themselves through college. And I think that is something to be admired. That takes a lot of great work ethic to manage that and make that work. And it's great to know that we have people that have done that, and are doing that and then leave our school and have a great career because they chose to go and get a degree. So you are to be admired for that. No doubt. I know you didn't have much time, but were there any groups that you were involved in while you were a student there that might have had a particular impact on you?
[Rebecca] I was a member of the Academic Integrity Board and being selected for that was quite an honor. There were certain times that it was a tough, tough role to play, especially if it was someone that I knew or I had met before or anytime that you're faced with having to take action against a fellow classmate and especially in a situation that can be somewhat negative. But I think that helped prepare me for some of my experiences in the military, especially as an officer and having to sit on disciplinary boards or even adjudicated disciplinary actions.
[Interviewer] Wow, that's very interesting. I don't know that I've met anybody that served on that type of board, but I can imagine as a student, it was somewhat eye-opening and certainly put you in a position to really understand that you've got to listen to sides and you've got to make some, some tough decisions at times. So I appreciate you sharing that. What about professors or staff or classes that you were in that might've had an influence on you? Tell us something about that.
[Rebecca] Oh, course. I know we talked about this before with my, my math professor, Dr. Carol Parker, who I don't believe is with the University anymore, but I was not the best math student in high school and I was pretty terrified about taking math courses in college because I felt like I might be far behind. But Dr. Parker, she really, not only did I learn well from her, but she inspired a love of math in me. And thanks to her, I ended up taking a lot more math classes then I think I ever needed to, just because I enjoyed learning from her so much. And then also Dr. Dlynn Armstrong Williams was just a huge influence in my, in my love of political science. And I know she is still with the University, as the head of that department, and she just had such a tremendous impact on me. I also enjoyed her classes and would seek classes that she was teaching just because she was so passionate about it. And I also just really enjoyed the material that she would teach.
[Interviewer] It's great that we have those that come alongside us that lead us in a direction of "you can do this." "You've got the ability to do this." That encouragement goes such a long way and we're grateful for past professors and teachers that have helped us believe in ourselves. So that's, that is great. Now you mentioned already you did not become a member of the Corps until your junior year and that is pretty amazing. I don't know that I've heard anybody say that they waited until their junior year. I'm sure there are some, but, but I haven't met them. What made you decide to, to go ahead and join the Corps?
[Rebecca] Well, when I got to North Georgia, again, I didn't know that it was one of the six Senior Military Colleges in the country. So it was sort of a shock to see this was a full-time ROTC program. I started off, of course, as a civilian. And as I watched over my first two years in school, I couldn't help but feel this almost physical sensation, this, this urge, if you will, that that might be a better fit for me. And that I belonged over there wearing that uniform, singing those cadences and getting up very, very early to do PT. And again, it was a physical sensation. So I feel like that definitely goes along with trusting your gut and using your intuition. And so I made a very bold decision to enter the Corps of Cadets as a junior and start off as a FROG amongst all my friends that were already in the Corps. And it was a little tough at times. But it's a decision I've never regretted and it's resulted in a 20-year military career that I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
[Interviewer] Now, I think you told me that you changed majors as well during that time. Is that correct or am I wrong on that?
[Rebecca] It is. I feel like I totally reinvented myself my junior year. I stopped being a Chemistry major and switched over to Political Science. And again, that had a lot to do with Dr. Armstrong Williams. I enjoyed her class so much, I thought this is, this is what I feel a passion for, this is what I want to study. And that was a big shift too, so I had to go back and take a few classes to shift my major over and I wouldn't change that either. I'm so glad that I did that because by the time I left school, I not only had a degree that I was very passionate about, but I had a career to start.
[Interviewer] Wow, that just took so much courage. That is, that is amazing that you just totally flipped around and decided I'm going to be in the Corps, I'm changing my major and here I go. That, that is incredible. Now what do you think, and I've asked several people this, that had been part of the Corps, but what do you think you learned about yourself while you were in the Corps of Cadets?
[Rebecca] I think I learned that there's a lot that worked for me. It was a very tough personal decision. And it also was a big change. To be a college student, to be a civilian college student and switch over so mid-stream, to a more regimented and regulated college experience I think was, was a bit of a culture shock at first. But, the biggest thing I learned is, wow, I can, I can survive this; this wasn't so bad. And you learn a lot about how mentally tough you are or can be when you take such drastic changes, especially midway through your college career.
[Interviewer] Yeah. I know that in a previous discussion that we had, you stated and I'm going to quote you on this, "be the woman that is a champion of other women." Explain that statement.
[Rebecca] So women were a minority in the Corps and we are still a minority in the Armed Forces, and sometimes there is almost a ... a stigma that women have to be so competitive with each other. And I've found in my career experience that the more we work together and lift each other up, the more we not only make each other successful, but we make the organization that we're participating in successful as well.
[Interviewer] That is so very important. And we do hope that we continue to get more women involved in the Corps of Cadets at, at the University. You commissioned as Quartermaster Officer, and you said that there can be a stigma attached to some of the branches in the Army, and at that time, Quartermaster was perhaps one of those. But you also had someone who swore you in that said some very powerful words to you and why don't you share that and tell us how what effect that had.
[Rebecca] Sure. So the gentleman that I was referring to is Mr. Terry Wilfong, who at the time was serving as the Head of Cadet Recruiting. He, himself was a retired Army officer and he's the one that convinced me to sign my contract and seek a commission through North Georgia. When I got my branch as a Quartermaster, again, North Georgia is typically known for producing some outstanding Combat Arms Officers, so to get Quartermaster, I felt a little like I had let the school down and perhaps let myself down and was a little disappointed in receiving that branch. And Mr. Wilfong said, "No, not at all. You shouldn't be disappointed about that." He said, "In fact, one day you will find yourself being the most powerful person in the room." And I didn't understand what he meant about that at the time until several years later as I found myself on planning committees for campaign plans, especially going into Iraq. And the one thing about logistics is we are the difference between a click and a bang for the war fighter. Nothing happens without logistic involvement. And so it was like, eye-opening, especially to realize we are the cog in the wheel that makes all of this happen. And nobody can do their jobs if we don't do ours. That has been part of my passion as a logistician over the past 20 years ... is to always make sure that the war-fighter has what they need to win on our nation's behalf. And it's something I'm very proud to be a part of.
[Interviewer] That story just goes to show you that no matter what branch you get, you can make it the best. You can be the best in that, in that field. So that is so, such an encouragement I'm sure hopefully to those students and cadets that are listening. I believe they are actually finding out very soon, well, I don't know if it's this month or next month, but they're finding out their branch soon. So hopefully those will be encouraging words to all of them. Now you have been stationed at a lot of different posts. And just out of curiosity, is there one that is a favorite right now for you?
[Rebecca] Oh, absolutely. And it's the hidden jewel of the Army, Fort Bliss, Texas. A lot of times people try to not go to Fort Bliss. They've heard horrible things about Fort Bliss. And I'll tell you that those of us that have been there want everyone to keep believing that, so we can keep going back there. It is a tremendous community in the El Paso area. You have a mountain range literally just sitting there in the middle of the city that you can always look up at and see a beautiful sunrise or sunset. The culture in the area is so family-oriented and friendly and it's a very safe place to be, despite some concerns about border security. El Paso is probably one of the safest cities of its size in the United States. And I really enjoyed the work that I did there, especially my most recent assignment with 1st Armor Division, America's Tank Division, and getting them prepared for their various deployments. But I would probably give my left arm to get back to Fort Bliss.
[Interviewer] Well, we hope somebody's listening to this and maybe they will allow you to go back sometime. That's great. Now you assumed command of the 841st Transportation Battalion in North Charleston, where you are today. You received that in May of this year. And as we talked earlier, you said your, your job requires you to work with all the armed forces in what you do. So what skills do you think you have and, or you need to be able to coordinate between the armed forces in your line of work?
[Rebecca] Well, the first skill you need is patience because each branch speaks its own language. The Army speaks "Army", the Marines speak "Marine", and the Navy and the Air Force have their own languages. So you have to be patient and be willing to look at things through a different lens. But you also have to be willing to network and also talk and share experiences because the lioness task of moving various armed forces up and down the East Coast is one that requires a lot of coordination. It requires a lot of communication. And it's something that you need to be skilled at in order to facilitate.
[Interviewer] Wow, I can imagine that, that trying to coordinate between different armed forces and their way of doing things, there's probably a lot of give-and-take with that. And patience, certainly. You mentioned, in order to make things happen the way they need to happen. What advice, this is changing a little bit, but what advice would you give to students as we're talking about 'trusting your intuition' and you know what? Let me skip up. I'm skipping, I'm skipping around here. Let me go back to this 'trust your intuition'. You've mentioned that. And I think it's real important that we understand what you mean by that. So talk a little bit to us about trusting your gut, or trusting your intuition.
[Rebecca] So I, I feel like today's students especially, and I see this with my soldiers, especially the younger ones. We live in an age of information where so much is coming at you at any given time that it can be overwhelming to try to sift through that and make decisions and think about what is best for you or your family. And what I've experienced and what I've learned to trust over my 20-year military career is that gut feeling, that literal physical sensation that says, "this is the path I need to go on." I encourage students especially today to just sit with that feeling for a few minutes and think about what would bring relief to that feeling? What would make that burning sensation stop? And that's the path to follow. And that's how I ended up in the Corps and that's how I ended up changing majors as I thought about what will make this pulling sensation, this burning sensation literally stop is, is these choices. And I took those risks and they've all paid off very well for me.
[Interviewer] That's great. You definitely have made some great decisions, no doubt. Now, speaking of trusting your intuition, I'm sure you have to use that in your everyday life, in your career, in the Army. So can you give me an example perhaps of something that you, a decision you've had to make that you really trusted your gut on?
[Rebecca] Well, actually to take this command. I had a lot of options before me and there were definitely a few paths that my career could have taken. What I felt would quiet the storm was to, to seek this unit, the 841st Transportation Battalion. And I felt like this would be the command where I could have the most impact on the logistics community and the Department of Defense writ large. And I can't say enough that I'm really glad I followed that intuition. What we do here, our mission is the single port manager for the entire East Coast, for all DoD cargo. Brings a smile to my face every single day and I'm so proud of my team here and what we do to support all the armed forces around the globe.
[Interviewer] That's great. I'm sure they're glad you're there too as well. Now, what advice would you give to students that are perhaps in the midst of trying to decide ... Do I really want to stay in this major? Do I want to go to another one? Do I really want to be a part of the Corps, and if so, I'm already a sophomore or perhaps a junior or just in general. What about those trusting their gut for those decisions? What kind of, what kind of direction or advice would you give to those students?
[Rebecca] Well, so in addition to asking yourself, what would stop this pulling sensation? What would stop this feeling? Ask yourself, "what's the worst that could happen?" What is the worst that could happen? Spend a year in the Corps, if you don't like it, go back to being a civilian. Take some classes in another major and see if that scratches the itch that you have to try something different. Don't be afraid to try something. But also ask yourself what truly is, and use a very practical and logical lens when you ask yourself that question. Because if you insert emotion into it, you're gonna get deep inside your head. But ask yourself logically, what's the worst that could happen here? And see if that suits.
[Interviewer] That's a great statement. What, what you've shared is certainly something all of us can use, not just students in trying to make everyday decisions or bigger decisions. So that is great advice. Now, I know you're busy. You have an incredible responsibility in your position now. But I know everybody needs some downtime, some relief, some stress relief. So tell me some things that you do in order to have that downtime.
[Rebecca] Well, I certainly enjoy spending time with my multiple pets as we talked about in my bio. But I also not only enjoy horseback riding, but I enjoy teaching horseback riding and bringing that love of horsemanship to the next-generation. So that's something I get to do in my downtime and I enjoy very much. And then I also love exploring the various areas when I've been stationed, I've been fortunate to be stationed in some very historic areas, not just here in Charleston and El Paso, but also near Williamsburg, Virginia. And getting to explore a lot of places that were very essential to the birth of our nation. So I'm really passionate about exploring the various areas of our country and just seeing what all has to be offered in the local area.
[Interviewer] And it's great that you have a career, that you can go different places and explore all those wonderful places when you're, when you're on post and when you have opportunity to go out and see what's available outside of that, that's great. Now, speaking of horses, I have a good friend who has a horse and she just loves riding. And she told me that horses just really can speak to your soul. And I find that very interesting. She said they're very intuitive animals I have never been around horses much, so do you do you find that to be the case as well?
[Rebecca] Absolutely. Horses can recognize human facial expressions just as well as dogs. And they share a common ancestor with dolphins so they're incredibly trainable. They also have their own personalities. My two are very different in their personalities. One's much more of a diva than the other. But they also can hear a human heartbeat from about 6 ft away. And so they're very attuned to how you're feeling. If you're feeling nervous. If you're feeling anxious. And they can have such a calming presence. And it was Winston Churchill who once said, "The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a human."
[Interviewer] Oh, wow, what a great quote. That's, that's pretty amazing. I've never heard that about the heartbeat. I didn't know that. That is amazing that they can hear about 6 ft away. Incredible. Okay, last question. We ask all of those that we interview this question ... share something fun or funny that happened to you while you attended North Georgia?
[Rebecca] Well, it didn't happen to me personally, I just happened to be a group recipient of this, but we had. When we'd have closed weekends in the Corps, we could get pretty creative with how we would have some fun. And it was a particularly warm weekend in mid-fall that we had a closed weekend, I believe, for a parade. And I lived in the Second Battalion barracks in Gaillard Hall. And we transformed Echo hall into a water park, including having a slip and slide that ran out the back door, and also a couple of kiddie pools. And I'm not sure whose idea it was, but we all participated and had a pretty good time. And I really don't recall where all the water came from. It's, it's definitely one of those things attending a Senior Military College, I think you definitely have some very unique stories comparative to my peers that attended regular colleges. So that one sticks out as, just seeing everybody sitting in the pool in the hallway and a couple of folks running down the slip and slide. I just thought to myself, there's no other school on earth that you can have an experience like this.
[Interviewer] Well, obviously you get real creative, right? I'm sure clean-up was interesting as well.
[Rebecca I'm sure it was. I don't recall how it happened because I think I was at work. But I do remember seeing it and thinking, "Golly, where else could you see something like this?" And then I've also had that, seen, stuff like that in my barracks in my course of my career. And I'm like, you know what, I can't even be mad at you guys. We've done this too.
[Interviewer] That is great. Well, Rebecca, thank you so very much for allowing us this time to interview you. Man, you've given us some great advice and some wonderful ways that we can really think about and trust that intuition, especially when we have some very big decisions that could be career changing decisions, college major decisions. Those are important things that we need to know and to really give thought to when we're making huge decisions. So thanks again so much. There is no doubt you've had an incredible career in the Army and will continue to have, and you have made us so proud that you're one of our alums, so thank you.
[Rebecca] Absolutely my pleasure. And for any students who'd like to reach out to me, I'm happy to speak with anybody.
[Interviewer] Well, I'm glad you mentioned that because we will have on the screen Rebecca's email, and if you want to reach out to her and ask some questions, please feel free to do that. She's, she's allowed us to use that e-mail and she will get back with you when time allows. So thank you for sharing that as well. A huge thank you to the ǧÃŬAV Alumni Association for their support in sponsoring this series. And I hope all of you have a wonderful day.
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