She was born and raised in Punjab, India to Jasbir Singh, and Paramjit Kaur. Her father moved to the United States when she was about 4 years old. She eventually moved to the U.S. in 2006 when she was 17 years old. Since She grew up seeing her grandfather’s picture in his Army (Indian) uniform, military was always on the back of my mind. She finally thought about it, spoke to a military recruiter. After a lot of convincing, my parents finally agreed to let her join the Air Force.
Being an athlete prepared her physically and mentally for the upcoming challenges I was about to face in the basic military training.
She deploys, sustains and repairs standard voice, data, and video network infrastructure systems, IP detection systems and cryptographic equipment. She performs, coordinates, integrates, and supervises network design, configuration, operation, defense, restoration, and improvements.
She is responsible for analyzing capabilities and performance, identifying problems, and taking corrective action. In summary, She is a computer network hardware and communication equipment specialists for the U.S. Air Force.
When asked about What has been her biggest learning experience/moment since joining the armed services?
She said”, Learning to live on my own is definitely the greatest learning experience because I went from being dependent on my parents to being independent within few hours. Although I missed having my family around, especially my mother, I learned that being independent was something I may have never learned if I had not joined the U.S. Air Force. I have been doing everything myself, and had to polish my time management skills. I recently adopted a dog (her name is Willow), and she has taught me to be more responsible, patient, and a lot calmer.”
Her thoughts on the ongoing campaign to increase the number of Sikhs in the U.S. military were, “I think it’s a great platform and I couldn’t be more ecstatic to see the efforts of my fellow brothers and sisters to raise Sikh awareness including assisting Sabat Surat (practicing) Sikhs with the process. Sikhs have been living in the United States for ages now, and I believe that just like any other Americans, Sikhs have the right to serve. They have contributed in every other sector of our nation so why not the uniformed services?
Her experience being a Sikh woman in the armed services was quite comfortable. She had never experienced any hardships.
Her role as Victim Advocate in the U.S. Air Force is to provide essential support, liaison services and care to a sexual assault victim. VAs provide crisis counseling, ongoing non-clinical support, information and referral to assist with decisions about the case. A victim advocate can also be present for any interview or appointment at the request of the victim.
Her advice for our young men and women who are interested in joining the military is, “Military isn’t for everyone, but if you are a committed and hardworking individual that there is nothing that can stop you. Signing that contract is a huge deal, and not only are you going to be responsible for yourself but for your peers and civilians. Good research is crucial, and especially being able to talk to someone who has served or is currently serving would assist you when you are unsure. Everyone has different experience and emotions about joining, so it never hurts to speak to more than one person. My experience has been positive because joining has taught me patience, self-discipline, resilience, self-confidence and assisted me in becoming a detail oriented person.”
On being asked as to How does She practices her Sikh faith while being away from your family and community on extended missions. She said “I have a Gutka Sahib with me which I brought from Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple). Gutka Sahib keeps me sane when I am having Gurdwara Sahib and family withdrawals. Internet & technology are some great inventions!! One can listen to Gurbani anywhere at any time of the day. I tend to listen to Japji Sahib in my car on days when I’m running late to work.” Her goal is to work with the FBI, and that is what she sees herself doing in ten years!
We appreciate your achievements & the inspiration you bring to our Youth!
~ Source: facebook.com/PortraitsofSikhs
