Amy Dolores Epley (b. 1969) served in the United States Army from 1992-2000. Amy Dolores Epley was born on 29 March 1969 in Creighton, Nebraska. She attended various schools growing up as her family moved around the state of Nebraska, before finally settling in Norfolk, Nebraska. Epley graduated from Norfolk Senior High School in 1987, began attending Northeast Technical Community College, and graduated with an associate's degree in 1989. She then attended Concordia University in Steward, Nebraska, for her bachelor's degree. After graduating from college, faced with having to pay back her educational loans, Epley decided to join the U.S. Army. She enlisted for an initial four years with the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) 96 Bravo, Military Intelligence, and was sent to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, for basic training in November 1992. Having been assigned to Military Intelligence, Epley was required to obtain a Top-Secret security clearance, but after graduating from basic training, she and others found out their paperwork had been misplaced. Instead of being sent to their MOS schools, Epley and others were then considered holdovers, and placed into MOS 51 Bravo, Carpentry and Masonry, classes. In late May 1993, Epley finally received her Top-Secret security clearance, and was sent to Fort Huachuca, Arizona, for Advanced Individual Training (AIT), but in July 1993, Epley received news that her mother had passed away suddenly, and returned home for two weeks to attend the funeral and be with her family. She then resumed her training and graduated from AIT. In November 1993, Epley was sent to Fort Benning, Georgia, for four weeks of Jump School, where she learned how to handle different types of parachutes. In December 1993, Epley was sent to her first duty station in Bad Kreuznach, Germany and attached to the 1st Armored Division. While stationed there, she received various computer trainings, joined Kontakt, a German American friendship group, and participated in excursions and "volksmarches," a form of non-competitive fitness walking. In August 1995, Epley was deployed to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, where Special Forces was in need of someone in Military Intelligence. In Turkey, Epley was occasionally assigned to help new military personnel become acclimated to the country and their job. In order to avoiding offending any locals while off post, Epley was also compelled to abide by their cultural norms regarding women. Also, during her first week in country, Epley was attacked by a Turkish soldier who attempted to drag her into a shack and assault her. After a struggle, she was able to flee and immediately reported it to the Military Police. They began a search for the assailant but were unable to locate him. In December 1995, Epley returned to the U.S. and was assigned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In March 1999, she was deployed to Camp Comache near Tuzla, Bosnia until September 2009. Epley left the army in 2000.
