Photo By Rick Emert | FORT CARSON, Colo. — Cathy Howell, a physical security specialist, with Directorate...... read more read more
By Norman Shifflett
Fort Carson Public Affairs Office
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Cathy Howell never expected to be Mrs. Colorado Springs at this point in her life.
Howell is a Department of the Army (DA) civilian, having served the military community for 30 years, 12 of those at Fort Carson.
Howell serves Fort Carson as a physical security specialist with the Directorate of Emergency Services (DES), and she was also selected as Mrs. Colorado Springs, recently.
However, Howell did not join the pageant for her own benefit, she joined because she is very passionate about taking care of Soldiers and Family members.
“Being around the military is all I know,” said Howell.
Her father was a World War II veteran who taught her to respect the U.S. and the military service members who defend the country. Even as a little girl, Howell said she has always wanted to join the Army. However, when the time came, she was unable to join due to preexisting medical conditions.
When she was unable to join the Army, she decided she could still serve as a DA civilian. Howell, now having served nearly three decades, said she can’t imagine not being a part of the military community.
Joining this year’s pageant was not done on a whim. Howell grew up in Colorado Springs and competed in several pageants when she was younger. Her experience in pageants helped her decide to use the Mrs. Colorado Springs pageant to share her platform of serving the military. The contestants were allowed to choose which cause they wished to represent in their platform.
When she approached her husband about joining the pageant, he said he supported her completely. Howell is married to Retired Chief Warrant Officer 4 Micah Howell, who currently serves as a supervisory security specialist for Fort Carson’s security and access control division, DES.
“I thought that it was an excellent opportunity for her to represent Colorado Springs,” said Micah Howell. “Now she is competing for Mrs. Colorado and that brings attention to her efforts of supporting the military, Colorado Springs, and, it brings attention to the military community.”
The Howells have been married for over 20 years, and during that time, she has been very active in the Soldier Family Readiness Group (SFRG) helping Soldiers and their Families.
After 9/11, Cathy Howell said she knew there was something else she could do to support the military.
She volunteered as a DA civilian to deploy for her first and only deployment to Afghanistan from November 2015 to November 2016. During her deployment, she was able to have an experience similar to Soldiers. Upon returning from the deployment, she brought back knowledge that many spouses of deployed Soldiers did not have. She shared that knowledge with spouses helping them understand what their deployed Soldiers might be going through.
Her duties didn’t end there.
Cathy Howell volunteers to help Soldiers and their Families as an SFRG senior adviser to the 759th Military Police Battalion commander.
Because of her volunteer efforts, she is known by Joey Bautista, Fort Carson volunteer services manager.
Bautista has known Cathy Howell since she began working at Fort Carson, about 12 years. Not only does Bautista know her through her volunteering on Fort Carson, but also through her full-time position. She conducts Batista’s physical security inspections and provides him with updated physical security materials.
“She is a very professional and respectful person,” said Bautista. “The passion is always in her heart. Cathy Howell is a wonderful person and is always there for anyone who needs her.”
Cathy Howell said she believes her passion for the military is what earned her selection as Mrs. Colorado Springs.
Now she has the opportunity to become Mrs. Colorado, having learned anyone who held a city title could compete for Mrs. Colorado.
The Mrs. Colorado pageant will take place in June 2021.
Through her pageant duties, Cathy Howell wants to draw attention to the military, and she hopes to continue bringing light to the military community as Mrs. Colorado during her journey.
“It is important to me to win this pageant because I want to get my platform out there,” said Cathy Howell. “For me, the best way to do that was to see if there was another pageant out there so I could get my platform out there and share it with others.”
She said she doesn’t want the community to forget about the military and all they are still doing here with COVID-19 support and the service members deployed overseas.
“We still need their love and support,” said Cathy Howell.
| Date Taken: | 04.20.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 06.04.2021 12:37 |
| Story ID: | 398168 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 58 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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