“It’s Important to Me to Still Have Their Backs”
Murkowski Honors New Generation of U.S. Army Veteran, Wasilla Resident Was Both Soldier and Spouse of Deployed Husband
WASHINGTON, DC –Senator Lisa Murkowski is releasing her 16th Veteran Spotlight installment today featuring Wasilla resident Tina Trosper. Trosper served in the Army from 2005 to 2010 and was deployed to Baghdad, Iraq as an Aviation Specialist and radio transmit operator. Since serving, Trosper has devoted herself to helping Alaskan soldiers transition back into the civilian workforce – after having dealt with war both on the front and as the spouse of a deployed soldier.
Tina Trosper was born in Palmer and grew up in Chugiak, joining the JROTC in high school and immediately joining the National Guard once she graduated. After a year, Trosper went active duty and was eventually stationed at Fort Hood. During her Veteran Spotlight interview, Trosper talks about being a single parent when she was deployed to Iraq and the difficulties of being away from her three year old son.
Tina Trosper, U.S. Army veteran
(Click on image for excerpt of Tina talking about her work preparing veterans for the civilian job market.
CLICK HERE for the extended interview)
Trosper left the Army after remarrying and becoming pregnant with her daughter. During that time, her husband was deployed to Afghanistan and Trosper spent the next 10 months experiencing life from the other side of deployment: the side of the family back home.
Today, Trosper works for Northern Industrial Training in the Transitioning Service Members which provides training and certifications programs to advance veterans and those about to leave the military into a career in the civilian workforce. She says the program has a 99% placement rate for Alaska’s veterans.
“My husband and I got out of the Army, and we didn’t know what we were going to do or how we were going to provide for our family. It was a scary thing,” said Tina Trosper. “Now, through Northern Industrial Training, I am able to help these guys getting out get the training they need to get good jobs. We put on that uniform together. We are family and you don’t want to see your family suffer. You want to see them successful and happy and moving on with the next mission, the next chapter. It is important to me to still have their backs.”
Tina Trosper during her tour in Baghdad in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom
“Tina Trosper’s story is one of a new generation of American veterans,” said Senator Murkowski. “She’s proudly served our country while also doing one of the toughest jobs at home: being a mom. The work she does for Alaska’s service men and women today is vitally important, making sure they transition smoothly back home. We owe it to veterans like Tina to honor them through sharing their stories, and we owe it to the rest of us to learn from the high levels of patriotism, commitment and service they demonstrate for us.”
The “Veteran Spotlight” project is Senator Murkowski’s monthly focus on an Alaska veteran of American conflicts worldwide to honor and draw well-deserved attention to Alaska’s men and women who served. Today’s installment is the sixteenth in the series that began on Memorial Day weekend of 2012. Every month, Sen. Murkowski posts a biography and an interview with an Alaskan who served our country abroad in conjunction with the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project – which recognized Murkowski’s series earlier this year as a model of best practices. You can watch them all by clicking here.
Senator Murkowski invites all Alaskans to nominate a veteran from the 49th state to be featured in the Veteran Spotlight project. If you have a family member or friend in the community you think has a story to share, email Spotlight@Murkowski.Senate.Gov.
