CW4 Wandy Tumlin, U.S. Army

When I was a young girl in the Dominican Republic (DR), I never dreamt of becoming a Soldier. I was born and raised in DR with few resources but an abundance of love. I remember getting a new dress and a pair of shoes every Christmas. One of the highlights of my childhood was waiting to wear our new clothes on Christmas Day. Due to circumstances beyond my family’s control, my Aunt Ursula raised me. I consider my her my mother and will forever. My hope is that both my mom and my biological mother in heaven, are both equally happy for me. Life in the DR is essentially about the hustle. There are different kinds of “hustles” - my aunt chose the “hustle” of a business women. She taught me and my siblings so many important lessons like the value of hard work; how to be independent; the importance of an education; and the value of owning your own home. In Mom Ursula’s eyes, if we accomplished those four things - we would be successful.

At the young age of 16, my world changed as drastically as you a 16-year-old could ever imagine. My family and I moved to Florida where I was thrown into a different country with a wildly different mix of cultures and a language that I did not know. I spoke no English, had no friends and had no way of getting around. High school is already hard enough – imagine tenth grade with all of those challenges! As time passed, I wanted to discover more about the country to which I immigrated. Given my newfound desire to travel and learn more, I decided that joining the military might be the best way to learn about America and it had to offer. As headstrong as the woman who raised me, I yearned to leave the house, travel the world and earn my own money. As soon as I graduated high school at 18 years old, I headed straight to the recruiting office and signed up to serve.

As I look back at my 24 years of honorable military service, I see what I have accomplished and I absolutely have no regrets. I have traveled to 24 countries, completed a Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree and have met some of the most amazing people. Most importantly, I have the most beautiful and loving family I could have every imagined. I am part of the first generation of children in my family who successfully completed high school, college and beyond. And YES - we own a home! I consider myself blessed and, in my eyes, I have achieved success in life and in love. I know that my mom Ursula is proud!

Another important part of what my mom helped me develop is my desire to help others. My personal journey has motivated me to help other Servicemembers complete their naturalization process. As someone who enlisted in the military without my citizenship, I experienced firsthand the arduous process that is takes to earn my status as a United States citizen. When I earned it, I made it my mission to help those who were eager to become citizens, but were unfamiliar with the process. This mission became a personal project of mine. I assisted with paperwork, worked closely with the embassy and attended ceremonies – even when deployed to Iraq. Every ceremony was fulfilling to see, but one in particular was even more memorable because I ended meeting my husband at one of them! As a Human Resources Technician, I will go above and beyond for anyone, which I know has and will guide me as I transition into the civilian sector.

Along with family, I can attribute much of my success to the superiors that have pushed me even when I had no desire to keep moving forward. I had a few bosses who saw something in me that I could not. Those mentors strongly encouraged me to pursue higher levels in my career, whether it was going to a promotion board, submitting my Warrant Office packet, or going to military school. Thank you for mentors like Staff Sergeant Stacey Wiley, Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Whallen, Chief Warrant Officer Phil Hemminger, Colonel Christopher Wells, among others. These individuals are “forever” mentors and remain close friends.

I am so grateful for opportunities my career in the service has brought to my life and to my family. The ability to pursue my education, travel the world and have a successful career provided the stability and support I needed throughout my 24-year journey. My career has also laid the foundation for whatever lies ahead for me and my family. I am so proud to serve this country!