Page 16 - Desert Lightning News So. AZ Edition, December 2018

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the populations that need it most.
“Renelle is passionate about her heritage and
her career,” said Dr. Natalie Trongtham, doctor of dental surgery. “Those things largely define her as a person, and I am excited to see where her big personality will take her in the future.”
Trongtham met Conner in dental school and both were enrolled in the RIDE program together. Trongtham witnessed Conner’s determination to accomplish her goals.
“I always admired Renelle, because she bal- anced her family, being in the Reserve, and get- ting through dental school all at the same time,” she said. “Despite all the things she was juggling, Renelle was grounded and always had her mind on the big picture.”
In 2009, after a four-year stint, Conner left active-duty and joined the Air Force Reserve Com- mand as a dental assistant. On the civilian side, since 2017, she has been an orthodontic resident and her dream to serve people, represent her Na- tive American culture, and become an orthodontist is finally coming true.
As she looks to the future, Conner plans to re- main a reservist. She has always had a sense of responsibility to serve.
“I felt like I had a duty to my country to serve. My father set that example,” she said. “It’s so prevalent to join the military when you’re from a native com- munity; my culture was influence in and of itself.”
“Growing up, my father used to ask me, ‘What are you going to be when you grow up? How are you going to get there?’” Conner said. “If my father were alive today, I would say to him, ‘Thank you
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Desert Lightning News
(from Page 15)
HAPPY NOON YEAR!
Join us for a funfetti-filled end-of-year celebration from 10 am-2 pm on Sunday, Dec. 30
• Dance Party • Noise Makers
• Sparkling Juice Toast
• Fun arts and crafts • Ball Drop at noon
All included with regular Museum admission!
Present your military ID and get one child in free with the purchase of an adult admission. One offer per each military ID
200 S. 6th Ave. Tucson AZ 85701 520.792.9985 ChildrensMuseumTucson.org
(from Page 6)
for the example you set. I will never forget your service.’ And I would tell him, I want to be an of- ficer in the Air Force.”
Conner has recently submitted a commissioning package to become an officer in the AFRC within the dental career field.
Through everything she has accomplished, she credits her husband and mother for her success.
“My husband has been a source of constant en- couragement, support and guidance, through our 15 years together,” she said. “From the military, where we served together, to college, where he completed his engineering degree, he always had time to root me on, as I continued to climb the educational ladder.”
“My mother is the reason why I work so diligent- ly and practice kindness in my service to others,” Conner said. “She taught me hard work, compas- sion and understanding for others. Needless to say, my mom is the one who has inspired me the most.”
Lavon Meiser, Conner’s mother, also has a heart of service and was active in the Johnson O’Malley Program, which aims to improve the education of Native American students enrolled in public schools.
“I always told my children, education is key to getting out of poverty,” Meiser said.
Meiser expressed how proud she was of her daughter and how she knew she would be all right because of who she was and where she came from.
“I felt it was important my children embrace their culture,” Meiser said. “I made sure they knew their history.
sometimes joint or partner service members to the rigors of Ranger School. If he successfully completes that course, he may be referred to Army Ranger School. ”The course taught us tons of lessons about working as a team, pushing past mental limits and mostly leadership,” he said. “Where we as Ranger students at first were acting as individuals, we had to shift toward operating together as a single unit. The more we acted by ourselves, the worse we did as a team. To meet the objective, whether it was packing our clothes within a certain amount of time or assaulting an enemy force, required every Ranger to do their part of the task and then some.”
After the first week of classroom and hands-on training, Sloat said they select students for various leadership positions for the missions and then challenge them to plan, prepare and conduct missions, whether it is a recon or ambush mission. They plan backwards based on a higher headquarters Operation Order.
On the last day of missions, ten tired, hungry and cold Airmen made it to the finish line, having tested their mettle to the extremes. The 29 Airmen who began the course came from six major commands and repre- sented security forces, tactical air control party, airfield management and battlefield Airmen specialties.
The first female to finish the course, 2nd Lt. Chelsey Hibsch from Yo- kota Air Base, Japan, has also been selected for RTAC. She said she saw more individuals fail as a follower because they didn’t want to go out of their way to help their partners succeed. “Those who were good followers tended to have others follow them with more enthusiasm because they had each other’s backs,” she said. “You learn how you react when everything is against you. Some individuals pressed on and others froze.”
The Air Force Security Forces Center, one of the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center’s subordinate units, hosted the course. The in- structors, all having been through the course and graduated Army Ranger School, put the students through the mind-numbing days and nights. The instructors provide this stress-oriented battle school for Airmen to develop better leadership and command tools under the mental, emotional and physical strain and improve their resiliency and coping mechanisms.
Happy Holidays