Perspectives from the field: Serving in and out of uniform

“I was lucky enough growing up to be surrounded by people that were very purpose-driven, and I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself. The Navy seemed like a good place for that.” – Terrell Chandler, Director of Field Operations

While serving as Petty Officer First Class in the Navy Reserves, Terrell was deployed to Afghanistan, where she first encountered Spirit of America. After seeing our team in action, Terrell knew it was the type of organization she wanted to be involved with after she got out of service. Spirit of America provided Terrell with the opportunity to be just as passionate about the work she did out of uniform, as she did in it.

Terrell returned to Afghanistan as a Spirit of America Program Manager to support the women in the US Army and female Afghan security forces that she served alongside in uniform. Providing those brave women with critical gear to do their jobs alongside their male counterparts was extremely rewarding and is just one example of how Terrell has served her country both in and out of uniform.