Nelia Woods
Nelia Woods immigrated to the United State from the Philippines in 1976. When she turned 25 in 1978, she went from working for a company that made copy machines in Chicago to joining the U.S. Air Force.
"I was watching TV and saw this commercial 'Join the Air Force and see the world!' I had to join! On June 6, 2978, I was with the 3707 BMTS (Basic Military Training Squadron)."
Basic training was 6 weeks long at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. Here she learned to follow the rules, respect rank, handle your finances, and physical training. Woods mentioned that the half-mile run at 0500 every morning was one of her biggest challenges.
"The obstacle course was another beast to battle," she said. "June in Texas was unbearably hot. One part of the obstacle course was to swing across a shallow pool. I was so glad not to make it across and fall into the water."
After basic training, Woods went to Lowry AFB in Denver, Colorado for the foodservice specialist technical school. She moved on to her first assignment at Luke AFB in Arizona. In December of 1980, she moved to Kadena Air Base in Okinawa. By this time she was married and had a 14-month old baby.
"Okinawa was just like the Philippines where I was born and raised," Woods said. "Typhoons and all. In hot summers, there was water rationing. So you have to schedule your showers every other day. I worked at Strickland Dining Facility. It's at Kadena Air Base where I met some very dear friends whom I am still friends with now."
The Air Force offers continuing education to its members. Grades E-1 to E-4 are given with time served. E-5 to E-9 comes with promotion testing. Woods remembers trying to gain early promotion by meeting a board.
"At Kadena, I met a board for E-4 promotion," she explained. "The board asked 'What will it mean to get promoted?' My supervisor said to say the first idea that came to mind. So I said 'More money' and I did not get the early promotion. I was supposed to say more responsibility. I later tested for E-5 and made it the first time."
After 4 years, Woods took advantage of a reenlistment bonus and switched into the communications field. She went to the ground radio communications technical school in Keesler AFB in Mississippi. She was assigned to the 3rd Combat Communications Squadron at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma where she learned Morse code, built field radio stations, and assembled antennas.
"It was fun until I had to drive a stickshift ton-and-a-half truck," she said. "Within 10 minutes of training, the instructor realized I was never going to learn how to drive the beast. He simply said 'Get out!'"
"Once we had to do a combat exercise away from the base," she continued. "Before leaving we were given gas masks and directed to try them on to make sure they fit. Thinking it was only going to be a pretend combat, I did not try the mask on. You know where this story is going and you are right. Around midnight our location was bombed with tear gas. The mask did not fit and I thought I was going to die. My eyes, nose, and throat hurt so bad. Yes, I learned the hard way - it's really a good idea to follow directions."
In 1983, Woods moved to Howard Air Base in Panama with her son, but her husband Joseph, who was also an active Air Force member, was assigned to Castle AFB in California. They were separated for 2 years. "After arriving in Panama, I found out I was pregnant," Woods said. "I realized that one had to be brave to face any and all difficult situations. It was very hard and very lonely. I remember sitting on the steps of our house on base at dusk feeling sorry for myself. In June 1984, Joseph came for a month when our daughter was born."
In 1985, Woods moved to Langley AFB in Virginia along with her husband who retired in 1987 after the birth of their youngest child. Wood received her promotion to E-7 Master Sergeant and moved to Yokota Air Base in Japan in 1089. Since there was no base housing available at the time, they had to live off base in a Japanese apartment complete with tatami mats.
In 1993, she switched jobs again becoming a First Sergeant which entailed taking care of the enlisted corps. "The First Sergeant advises/assists the commander in making decisions that affect enlisted promotion, demotion, or removal from military service as well as disciplinary actions including Article 15 and court-martial," she explained. She ended up assigned to the 21st Airlift Wing with 500 people under her care.
"My first counseling session was with a sergeant," Woods said. "Once the door was closed he started to cry. He said his wife left him and added, "I have not been with a woman for 8 months." Now I panicked. They didn't teach this at the First Sergeant school. So I said, 'Don't look at me!' It made him laugh."
In 1994, Woods moved again to Peterson AFB in Colorado when she was assigned as the First Sergeant of the 21st Operations Group. Since this group had units around the world, she traveled to different locations with the commander.
After serving for 20 years, Woods retired on July 1, 1998. On her last performance report, her last commander and supervisor Colonel Rohlman wrote: "What am I going to do without you."
"That was sweet," Woods said. "I am glad I served and given the chance, I will do it again."