*Boot Campaign (BootCampaign.org) is honored to share the story of Dr. Marie Walters during Black History Month 2016.
The retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel worked throughout her 20-year career (1984 -2005) to improve pilot safety, and also played a key role in protecting Americans working in the Soviet Union.
One of her career highlights was being selected to be on a team working directly for the State Department that went to the former Soviet Union to help to build a new U.S. Embassy.
“We had, for some reason, allowed the Soviet Union to build our Embassy,” recalls Dr. Walters, a resident of Frisco, Texas. “But, of course, when an enemy builds something for you, they are probably not going to build it in the best way. So, our job was to go in there and try to understand the technologies that they put in there so we could defeat it. That was a real highlight and definitely made me appreciate living in this country because things are very different in other parts of the world.”
Dr. Walters, who has a doctorate in industrial and systems engineering from The Ohio State University, says one of her hardest challenges sometimes was being a woman in environments where women were not front and center. However, proving herself every step of the way surprised even herself and made the journey well worth the effort.
“The military taught me that I am so much more capable than I would ever have imagined,” says Dr. Walters. “I have strength that I never thought I would ever have. It builds your self-esteem and character in a way that I don’t think anything else can. I have been able to jump out of aircraft. I have been able to do things I would never have dreamed I could do. You just never know that you limit yourself sometimes. I always tell the girls: ‘Go out there, man. You don’t know what you’re capable of. You have a lot of power and you can do a lot of wonderful things.’”
Watch Dr. Marie Walters Lieutenant Colonel (RET.) U.S. Air Force talk about her career
Thank you for your service, Dr. Walters.
Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African-Americans and a time for recognizing their role in U.S. history. The event grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African-Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as “Black History Month.”
About Boot Campaign
Established in 2009, Boot Campaign is a national 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to promoting patriotism for America and our military community; raising awareness of the unique challenges service members face during and post-service; and providing assistance to military personnel, past and present, and their families. Retail sales of combat boots, apparel, and mission-focused merchandise, general public donations, and corporate sponsorships fund programs that support military families. Learn more at https://bootcampaign.org
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source:
Barry L. Smith
[email protected]
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