COLUMBUS, Ohio –
A video series debuting Nov. 10 honors military veterans from across the Defense Logistics Agency including DLA Land and Maritime’s Celia Flores, a command support specialist and Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran.
The special, “Honoring All Who Served and Who Serve,” profiles Flores’ journey from a small town in California, to Iraq, to Ohio where she now supports the warfighter through her civilian role at Defense Supply Center Columbus. Flores is the first in her family to serve in the military and said she felt the calling from a young age. At 20, Flores deployed to Camp Diamondback in Mosul, Iraq, as a logistics specialist with the 44th Corps Support Battalion. The experience was eye-opening. “I grew up when I was there,” she said.
Flores was responsible for ensuring incoming Soldiers were housed and received equipment. One of her additional duties was traveling outside the wire to collect local nationals that worked on the forward operating base.
“That was probably the most scary part of my job,” she recalls in the video. “I did have a little bit of fear but also I felt really safe because I knew that my buddies would take care of me.”
“The Army has affected my life greatly…And it really has inspired me to really be successful and be proud of what I'm doing,” she said.
DLA Video Producer Nutan Chada spearheaded the series, profiling a handful of veterans across the agency who continue to serve the warfighter. In her series, she noted, “Veterans Day is a time to honor those who have served and who continue to serve in the Armed Forces in the United States of America. All of Team DLA says thank you to all our military – we sincerely appreciate your service.”
The video series can be viewed on DLA’s official Youtube channel beginning Nov. 10.