Deyanira Cabrera Oral History

Details

Who's responsible?: Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives, UNCG University Libraries (Repository)
How much has been digitized?: Digitization of this collection is still in progress.
Where can I find more information?: https://uncg.as.atlas-sys.com/repositories/2/resources/1458
What's in the full collection?: April 2021 oral history transcript, scans of photographs
Full biography: Deyanira Cabrera (b. 1968), of Aguadulce, Panama, served as a dental assistant with the United States Army from 1996-2002. Deyanira Cabrera was born 7 June 1968 in Aguadulce, Panama. She went to college at Panama University and earned a degree in Architectural Drawing. She married and moved to the United States. Cabrera’s first encounter with the military was with the American Red Cross. At the time Cabrera was back in Panama on Fort Clayton, as her husban, who was in the U.S. Army, had a permanent change of station to Panama, and she took courses with American Red Cross for Dental Assistants. While finishing this course she applied to the U.S army to be a dental assistant. Cabrera went to basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri and was then assigned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina in 1996. While Cabrera was at Fort Bragg, she worked with DENTAC as a dental assistant where she was responsible for dental readiness and exams for service members to ready them for combat assignments. Later Cabrera got a promotion to corporal and became an assistant to the officer in charge where she would help run reports. While doing this she got a special duty assignment for two weeks in Puerto Rico with the 3rd Special Forces Group. In Puerto Rico she helped with translating for doctors and providing dental care. In 2002 Cabrera left the army and continued with her education. While in the military she went to Fayetteville Technical Community College and earned and associate degree in general education. Then she went to Campbell University to pursue a major in Applied Science with a minor in Criminal Justice, finishing the degree after her army stint. After finishing her Bachelor’s Degree, Cabrera also earned a Masters Degree in Management leadership and another degree with Humans Resources Development at Webster University.
Topics: Women's History
Military
Branch of service: Army
Conflict: Gulf War (1990-2000)
War on Terror, OEF, OIF (2001-Present)
Subject headings: United States--History--1945-
United States. Army--Women
Contributing Institution: Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives, UNCG University Libraries

: Oral history interview with Deyanira Cabrera; Primarily documents Deyanira Cabrera’s time in the military as a dental assistant. Cabrera documents her transition from living in Panama to the United States and the transition from being a military dependent to being in the military herself. She goes over the process of her actively learning English while in the military and her process of becoming a United States citizen. Cabrera also talks about military benefits like Tuition Assistance and the Montgomery GI Bill that helped further her education during and after her time in the military.

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Women Veterans Historical Project

Deyanira Cabrera Oral History

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