In November 2020, Jaymie became a Human Resources generalist with the City of Wasilla. Due to her military background, she did not truly understand the role she was hired into, said Lisa Bartgis, executive assistant to the mayor.

“Jaymie’s transformational leadership approach and expertise have allowed for constructive direction at the city, which is recognized by the elevation of her position from HR generalist to HR manager,” Bartgis said. “She has modernized the city’s HR practices that have impacted important and necessary business modification, all while serving her state and country with her required military duty.”

The Air Force recognizes the whole-person concept, so Herbert wanted to be the best Airman should be, and volunteered with Reach907, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the Standing Together Against Rape Alaska Crisis Hotline. With over 900 hours of community service, she said she found STAR Alaska to be most fulfilling.

“I spent hundreds of hours on the end of the line when callers in crisis needed a warm presence to listen as they worked through their immediate situations,” the mother of two described. “They need to know they are not alone, and I was able to be there for them.”

She said that volunteering and schooling kept her on track, so she didn’t have time to make a poor judgment based on trauma responses while healing.

Recently, she has connected with MyHouse in Wasilla. MyHouse’s aim is to empower and create self-sufficient community members for all youth experiencing homelessness and those at risk of becoming homeless. With a hand-up, not a hand-out, philosophy, they provide safe accommodation and wrap-around assistance for youth. As a trauma survivor and HR professional, Jaymie said she felt at ease when she walked into MyHouse. Their youth services align with her professional perspective that a properly prepared workforce is the best way to continue to grow the community.

She attributes her success to the resources offered by the Air Force. Education, readily available mental health resources, and a supervisor who enabled her to grow without tearing her down when she was down were all important in aiding her through many seasons of personal growth. As a result, she said she is in her dream job as an HR professional and still has the opportunity to serve where her roots began as an Airman in the Air National Guard.

“The Air Force provided me with skills that I would not have received otherwise,” Herbert stated. “I learned how to be in the world, achieve my educational goals while remaining debt-free, and work on healing from childhood trauma. All of this was made possible by the services and support I received while serving in the military. It was a profession that allowed me to grow up alongside a supportive supervisor and become the person I am today.”

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  176th communications, air National Guard, Alaska, jaymie herbert