Celebrate Veterans'Histories

Jackie, as she is called by everyone, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, the eldest of eleven children. Her parents instilled in their children the importance of faith, education, and respect for others. Their educational philosophy was that no goal was unreachable with hard work, which enabled ten of the eleven siblings to complete college and become successful in fields such as education, law, and business. Jackie attended Louisiana State University for one year before joining the Women’s Army Corps in July 1963, where she trained as a medical specialist and later in the field of data processing. She was discharged from the military in September 1965 at the rank of Specialist Four. After her discharge, she worked at Avondale Shipyard as a key punch operator while also enrolling as a part-time student at Loyola University of New Orleans to pursue her educational goals. In 1972, during her time at Avondale, she joined the United States Army Reserve in New Orleans and entered at the rank of Specialist Five. Her duties included data processing, finance, personnel, and the inspection of subordinate units. She was later promoted to Specialist Six and then to Sergeant First Class as a Non- Commissioned Officer, where she gained leadership responsibilities teaching and training junior soldiers. In 1979, Jackie graduated from Loyola University with a degree in Business Administration, using the Montgomery G.I. Bill to support her studies. That same year, the Army initiated the Active Guard Reserve (AGR) program, which allowed reservists to serve on full-time active duty. Jackie was selected for the program and, in August 1979, left her civilian job at Avondale Shipyard and formally transitioned from the Army Reserve to the AGR program at the rank of Sergeant First Class. As part of the AGR program, she trained at Fort McCoy before beginning her new assignment as a Finance Specialist at a Reserve unit. Her duties included processing new reservists, handling enlistment and reenlistment bonuses, and managing payroll for drilling reservists. She embraced greater leadership responsibilities, mentoring incoming soldiers. After several years with the 377th Theater Army Command in New Orleans, Jackie was transferred in 1986 to Washington, D.C., where she served on the staff of the Office of the Chief, Army Reserve. Her responsibilities included developing policies related to benefitsand incentives for the entire Army Reserve—a role she considered one of the most rewarding of her career. Jackie was later promoted to Master Sergeant and selected to attend the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy, from which she graduated—a highlight of her military service. Upon her return, she was promoted to the rank of Sergeant Major. She was subsequently assigned to the Army Reserve Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri, for three years before returning to Washington, D.C., to serve on the Army Staff. She continued in this role until her retirement from the Army in December 2001. In March 2002, just three months after retiring, Jackie began working as a government contractor in Human Resources. She later transferred to work with Army Intelligence (G-2) at the Pentagon as an Attache Coordinator, a role she described as one of her most rewarding as a public servant. In February 2008, her position was converted to a government service role, and she successfully applied and was selected. In this position, she worked closely with foreign military attaches and their embassy staffs in Washington, D.C. She often drew on lessons instilled by her parents—particularly respect for others— while navigating the challenges of working with individuals from diverse cultures, languages, and backgrounds. After the onset of COVID-19, Jackie found that working from home did not suit her, and she retired from government service in September 2021. She concluded both her military and government careers with numerous awards, commendations, and professional achievements. Jackie treasures her many accomplishments and credits her success to the values and goals instilled in her by her parents.