If one were to have known Barbara Hill during her late teenage years, they may have never suspected the success she would go on to achieve in the military.
Dropping out of high school while living in Texas, she was working in a factory sewing belt loops on denim jeans in the early 1970s when she made the decision to pursue a new and specific goal in her life - an education.
"I earned my GED and enlisted in the Air Force in February 1973 when I was 18 years old," the Jefferson City veteran said. "My father had served as a jet engine mechanic in the Air Force so that certainly had an influence on my decision to join."
Completing her basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, Hill notes the Air Force then sent her to train in medical administration at Sheppard Air Force Base near Wichita Falls, Texas.
With her initial training completed, she transferred to her first duty assignment at Little Rock Air Force Base (AFB) in Arkansas and was placed in resource management in the base hospital. While there, she used her spare time to focus on achieving the education she had left in high school.
"One of the counselors at Park College (now University) told me that once I earned my bachelor's degree, no one would question where I went to high school," she recalled. "I enrolled at the college and began taking courses with the help of the tuition-assistance benefits offered by the Air Force."
Additionally, Hill accrued 32 hours of credit through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), eventually earning her bachelor's degree in criminal justice in the summer of 1977. She left active duty the same year and transferred to the Arkansas Air National Guard, receiving assignment to the 189th USAF Clinic at Little Rock AFB.
The Air Force veteran spent several months drilling with her Air National Guard unit and was soon hired full-time as a senior health technician with the clinic. During the same period, she achieved the rank of master sergeant while also using her GI Bill benefits to attend night school at the University of Arkansas School of Law in Little Rock.
"While in the Air National Guard, I spent four years in school and graduated with my law degree in May 1981," Hill explained. "Becoming a lawyer is something that I had always dreamed of doing someday," she added.
Her abilities captured the attention of Missouri's adjutant general, who advised her of the approaching availability of a full-time judge advocate general position (military attorney) in the state. She then made the decision to transfer to the Missouri National Guard in 1982 and, the following year, left the enlisted ranks when commissioned as a first lieutenant.
"I began my service with the Missouri National Guard in labor relations, but the following year I became the first full-time JAG officer in the state for the Air National Guard," she said. "I then became JAG for both the Army and Air National Guard and later worked at the newer Missouri National Guard headquarters built near Algoa (east end of Jefferson City)."
As part of her legal duties, Hill said, she reviewed a number of federal contracts for the military; however, she also spent time at the Pentagon on temporary duty to review physicals in the early 1980s and later traveled overseas to serve as a legal adviser to the National Guard during humanitarian and infrastructure projects.
"The Missouri National Guard was involved in a road construction project in Honduras during the mid-1980s, back when I was a captain," the veteran said. "I spent some time at Camp Big Bear as the legal adviser for that particular project."
Additionally, Hill went on to perform temporary duty as a legal officer at the American Embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark, during the early 1990s. It was during this timeframe, she noted, that a number of Air National Guard units were activated to perform duty in the region.
In 1995, Hill was married to Bud, who himself went on to complete a career in the Missouri Army National Guard. The same year as her marriage, she was selected the "Judge Advocate General of the Year" for the Air National Guard. She finished her career in September 2000, retiring at the rank of lieutenant colonel after having served 27 years in the military.
"My son, John-Paul, was 1 year old at the time of my retirement and leaving the service gave me more time with him," Hill said. "That had been my goal all along," she added. "I now spend my time traveling and being 'John-Paul's mommy,' taking him to Special Olympic activities and events with the local parks and recreation department."
As a young woman beginning her adult years without the benefit of a high school diploma, Hill affirms that her service in the Air Force has provided the resources, inspiration and resolve to eventually rise above any early educational setbacks and go on to earn her law degree.
"I didn't allow myself any excuses and knew what I wanted to accomplish," Hill said. "It took a lot of focus and studying, and much of it was achieved while I was also working full-time."
She concluded, "But through focus and determination, I was able to reach the goals that I had set for myself while also completing a lengthy and rewarding career with the Air Force and Air National Guard. "
Jeremy P. mick writes on behalf of the Silver Star Families of America.