Photo By Hayley Smith | Katja Paul, left, is a veteran of the National Guard and six-year Army Civilian...... read more read more
ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill.- Soldier, spouse, veteran, mother of three, contract cost management program analyst- these are just a few of the job titles Katja Paul has held and loved.
Katja, a longtime resident of the Quad Cities, credits the National Guard with helping her identify her course in life.
“I didn’t have a real career plan or path really,” Katja said of her time before joining the U.S. Army. “I felt a little adrift and craved having a community and being part of something bigger.”
After enlisting as military police in the fall of 2002, she leapt at the chance to transfer to the Alaska National Guard and serve on active-duty orders for three years at Fort Greely, Alaska, to work site security for the missile defense complex.
In addition to her job there, in what she calls “essentially high-end protective services,” the environment in which she lived and worked is what Katja remembers most.
“I still think about the mountain views we saw on patrol,” she said. “Where else can you get off shift, drive for five minutes and then hike or scout for bears? That was really cool. The scenery is amazing.”
In addition to traveling and outdoorsmanship, Katja enjoyed the chance to meet different people and learn about different ways of life from her fellow Guardsmen.
“The cultural aspect there was so interesting,” she said. “There were several people in our company who were Alaska Natives. It was fascinating to learn from them. They taught me a lot about living up there, especially how to deal with the weather.”
After Katja’s time at Fort Greely ended, she moved back to Illinois to finish her six-year commitment before separating from the Army at the rank of sergeant.
While it was difficult to leave the Army she loved, Katja appreciated the experience she gained and everything she learned, as well as the ability to continue her education on her own timetable. Once her youngest child went to kindergarten, Katja used her military education benefits to complete her bachelor’s degree at St. Ambrose University.
“For a while, we were all in school together!” Katja said of herself and her three children. “I even changed my major to business administration, which I hadn’t done before because I was terrified of taking statistics. And guess what! I got all A’s in those statistics courses because I learned how to try things I told myself I wasn’t good at.”
Katja rejoined the Army team in 2017, this time as an Army Civilian employee at U.S. Army Sustainment Command. While working at ASC, which synchronizes and executes logistics capabilities and materiel readiness for the Army, she’s appreciated the opportunity to continue serving in a new capacity.
Over the past six years, Katja has progressed from an intern to a program analyst for the contract cost management division of the Acquisition Integration Management directorate, helping ensure contractors are accountable for their use of government funds.
Katja’s teammates agree that she fit right in. Fellow Program Analyst Helen Ketron appreciates Katja’s first-hand experience in uniform and her emphasis on teamwork.
“Katja has an increased depth and breadth of understanding to how ASC supports the warfighter and how crucial that support really is,” said Ketron. “Her time as a Soldier allows her to more clearly understand the needs of customers and she is always willing to lend her support and expertise to anyone who needs it.”
Looking back, Katja is incredibly grateful for her Army experience and the amazing impact it had on her entire life.
“Joining the National Guard is one of the best decisions I made,” she said. “I was able to raise my children and go back to work on my terms. I was able to serve my country with integrity and raise my family. I didn’t feel like I had to compromise on either one, and that’s huge.”
If you want to make a difference by joining the Illinois National Guard, visit https://www.il.ngb.army.mil/.
| Date Taken: | 11.09.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 11.09.2023 14:04 |
| Story ID: | 457586 |
| Location: | ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 43 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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