Photo By 2nd Lt. Trenton Fouche | Master Sgt. Thelma Barrios, brigade senior human resource noncommissioned officer for...... read more read more
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CHICAGO – Thelma Barrios, the daughter of a Mexican immigrant, was just four-years-old when she moved to Chicagoland from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. When she arrived in Illinois, she didn’t know a single word of English.
Master Sgt. Barrios is now the senior human resources noncommissioned officer for the more than 1,700 Soldiers of the 108th Sustainment Brigade ensuring the right people are in the right positions for the Army National Guard command. She was selected as a national 2022 Latina Style Distinguished Military Service Award recipient – one of only 21 service members from across the nation selected for the honor this year.
Although she was born in Laredo, Texas, she’d spend the majority of her childhood up until the age of four in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, when her mother moved to Chicago with Barrios and her three siblings.
“I remember getting off of a Greyhound bus in Chicago,” Barrios said. “It was snowing, and it was the first time I had seen snow. Funny story is in Spanish snow means “nieve,” which also means a frozen dessert, similar to ice cream. I asked my mom what the white stuff was, and she told me nieve. I grabbed a handful and started eating it. I quickly learned that it wasn’t ice cream.”
“Master Sgt. Barrios’ family is among thousands who came to the United States for the opportunity for a better life,” said Maj. Gen. Rich Neely, the Adjutant General of Illinois and Commander of the Illinois National Guard. “Through hard work and determination, she was able to provide a better life for herself and her family. We are proud to have such an extraordinary Soldier in our ranks.”
The Distinguished Military Service Awards will be presented during the 19th National LATINA Symposium on Sept. 29 in Washington, D.C. The 2022 Latina Style Distinguished Military Service Awards recognizes and celebrates the accomplishments of women in the military and the Department of Defense (DoD) civilian workforce who, through their service, have enhanced the role of Latinas in their organization and the DoD.
Barrios enlisted into the Illinois Army National Guard in 1999, originally expecting to just serve her initial contract and earn enough money to pay for college. She never expected to continue to serve for this long or be recognized for her service.
“I was a 23-year-old single mother working a midnight shift, while still going to college full-time,” Barrios said. “I can remember working late one evening and being totally exhausted. I passed an Army National Guard sign that said that 100 percent tuition would be paid by joining. It was still one of the hardest decisions that I had to make at that time because my daughter was only three years old and it meant I’d have to leave for training.”
Barrios’ mother, Martha, was supportive of her ambitions and watched her daughter, Cecilia, when she shipped off to basic combat training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina a month later. “I knew that obtaining my college degree was something that I really wanted to do and it was important because it meant I’d be the first in my family to do so.”
Barrios would graduate from Robert Morris University in Chicago with a bachelor’s degree in business administration management. She has worked full-time for the Illinois Army National Guard as an
Active Guard Reserve (AGR) Soldier since 2009. She now lives in Manhattan, Illinois, with her husband, Jake Poor. She has five adult children, Martha, Miguel, Ricardo, Cecilia and Mario; and four grandchildren, Ari, Jade, Mariah and Jaylin.
In her spare time, Barrios volunteers for the National Guard Association of Illinois, as the only Latina elected representative. She also serves her community by volunteering her time to the Guardian Angels Community Services (GACS), the Groundwork Domestic Violence Program (Safe Haven and Mentorship Program), a Court Appointed Special Advocate for Children (CASA Volunteer), and the Illinois Foster Adoptive Parent Association (ILFAPA).
Barrios’ influence extends through all echelons of the Illinois Army National Guard, as well as her community. As the brigade’s senior human resources noncommissioned officer, she has mentored and guided countless individuals on career management, both in the civilian and military fields. As a trained military equal opportunity leader, she has been instrumental in the implementation of the Brigade Diversity and Inclusion mentoring program.
Over the years, Barrios has gained the respect and admiration of the Soldiers around her, particularly junior enlisted Soldiers.
Barrios takes great pride in her Latin heritage and wants other Latinas to know that they can accomplish their goals as well. “Our formations are composed of so many demographics and is so culturally diverse.”
Barrios said that the award can be encouraging to those that come from similar backgrounds. There are others that “didn’t know a single word of English” when they arrived and they too can accomplish
a lot, she said.
| Date Taken: | 09.02.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 09.02.2022 15:55 |
| Story ID: | 428615 |
| Location: | CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 523 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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