Paula G. Flores (b.1968), of New York, served in the United States Air Force from 1988-2008. In May 1988, Flores visited the U.S. Air Force recruiting station in Fort Jackson, South Carolina, where she was administered the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery). She achieved a high score and was given the option of choosing any Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) she desired. Having taken auto mechanics during high school, where she learned to rebuild engines and change oil, Flores chose Aircraft Structural Maintenance Specialist. After Flores had been cleared physically and mentally through the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS), she was sent to Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, for basic training. During the summer of 1988, Flores was sent to Technical School at Chanute Air Force Base, Illinois, where she began eleven weeks of instruction in aircraft structural maintenance. During this time, Flores participated in the U.S. Air Force's new phase system, where, as airmen advance in each of the five phases, they earn privileges, and upon graduation, are immediately assigned to their first duty station. In October 1988, after graduating Technical School as an Aircraft Structural Maintenance Apprentice, three level, Flores was assigned to Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan. As part of 18th Equipment Maintenance Squadron, Flores worked in the sheet metal shop and inspection docks for F-15 aircraft. She also participated in Cope Thunder, a ten-day air combat training exercise. In 1990, Flores was assigned to George Air Force Base, California, where she worked on F-4 Wild Weasels, one of the first aircraft to deploy during the Gulf War. In 1991, Flores was deployed on a temporary duty assignment to Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines to take part in Operation Fiery Vigil. After the closure of George AFB in late 1992, Flores had a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) to nearby Edwards Air Force Base, California, where her career field was joined with the Corrosion Control Specialist field. From January 1997 to December 2000, Flores was assigned to Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, where she worked as both an aircraft mechanic and in corrosion control. As part of aircraft maintenance, Flores had the opportunity to attend a NATO Air Meeting and learn about the aircraft of other countries. Flores next received a Permanent Change of Station to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina but was first sent to Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi for two and a half months to cross-train as a Computer Communications Specialist. She then returned to Seymour Johnson AFB, where she began working with the Air Expeditionary Wing and Theater Battle Management Core Systems (TBMCS), or virtual maps. After the events of September 11, 2001, Flores deployed to Kyrgyzstan, Central Asian, as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Flores' unit was tasked with building Ganci Air Base, a now-vacated military installation near Bishkek, across from Manas International Airport. They also were tasked with establishing communication lines within the airport and clearing the flight line so it could be utilized by aircraft bombing the Afghan mountains in pursuit of Saddam Hussein. Flores later deployed to Qatar as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, where she was tasked with creating virtual maps of Qatar for TBMCS. When Flores returned from deployment, her ex-husband petitioned for, and won, custody of their children, due to the fact that he had the children more often than she did as a result of her almost constant training or deploying. Flores requested her command cease sending her on deployments, but they deployed her to the Continental NORAD Region (CONR) at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, for Operation Noble Eagle. After a few months had passed, and no one could tell her when this deployment would end, Flores requested to be sent home. Soon after, she returned to Seymour Johnson AFB, resumed working with TBMCS, this time as part of Information Assurance, and in 2005, became the Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge of her unit. In late 2006, Flores began a position that required running security licenses and safeguards for offices with classified and Top-Secret computer systems. In 2008, she retired from the United States Air Force. As of June 2015, Flores was a Local Veterans Employment Representative (LVER), assisting with employment opportunities for veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
