Page 25 - San Diego Woman Anna Adams

UNDER THE C OL ORS

AIR FORCE NAMES FIRST FEMALE SERE SPECIALIST
AS CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT
By Riley Ceder
Courtesy of Air Force Times
An airman recently became the first female survival, evasion,
resistance, escape, or SERE, specialist to achieve the rank of chief
master sergeant, the service announced.Chief Master Sgt. Tiffany
Zaloudek earned the highest enlisted rank in the Air Force on Nov. 1.
Zaloudek earned her SERE beret in 2007, becoming the first woman
in eight years to finish the specialized course. But her path was filled
with doubters along the way. She said the recruiter for the course
supplied her with a SERE brochure devoid of any images of women
and didn’t exactly offer his support, Zaloudek recalled in the release.
“He told me that he only knew of one woman to ever graduate SERE
specialist training and that I didn’t look like the type who would do
this job because I was so feminine,” Zaloudek said. “I understood
Photo credit: Miriam Thurber/U.S. Air Force. SERE was a demanding career path, but I felt I was ready for the
challenge.” She chalked up his incorrect assessment of her grit to his
knowledge that she’d owned a pet rabbit in the past. The joke was on
him. Nearly a decade later, she was the one teaching airmen in the
woods how to skin a rabbit. SERE specialists provide service members
with essential knowledge on how to find food, make shelter, hide from
enemies, and engineer their own rescue.

Available

NOW

I know you all marvel at the beautiful photos we showcase in every Issue of our Magazine, San Diego Woman. Did you
know that those breathtaking photos were taken by our very talented photographer, Dawn Nicoli of Nicoli Productions?
What I bet you didn't know is that she is not only an incredible photographer but an equally talented writer. We are so
excited to announce that she has just released her third book.

This book is the culmination of Dawn's thirty-year photography career, and many of the photos are of families she
captured during this time period. I'm sure many of you who have been photography clients of Dawn's will be surprised to
see your families come to life in the pages of this amazing new book. Enjoy the beautiful photography in Through the Lens.
Relive these magical moments and memories.
Purchase her book today at: https://getbook.at/throughthelens

25