With service deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, under two different military occupational specialties, Isaura Guerrero-Perez, assigned to the 85th USARSC’s G8 section, shares her story of service emigrating to the United States and later advancing as an Army officer and Army Civilian.

“My Army Reserve career complements my career as a resource management officer here at the 85th U.S. Army Reserve Support Command,” said Guerrero-Perez. “The Army Reserve provided the foundation, and I’ve been building on that with my civilian job.”

Her journey began in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico before her family emigrated to the United States, to Carpentersville, Illinois, when she was in the fifth grade.

“I learned English when I was in the fifth grade,” Guerrero-Perez said. “It was difficult at first. There were bilingual classes, but pretty much they throw you in with the other (English speaking) kids.”

She joined the Army Reserve following graduation from Dundee-Crown high school in 2001 after she talked with a friend who had joined the active Army.

“She called me from basic training and said it was fun and (the army) would pay for school. After I talked to her, I called a recruiter and joined the Army Reserve on January 23, 2001. I originally signed up for an eight-year contract as a carpentry/masonry specialist. I chose this MOS because I wanted to join the Army Reserve as soon as possible so I could go to college,” said Guerrero-Perez. “I attended Advanced Individual Training in Gulfport, Mississippi.

After completing her initial Army contract, Guerrero-Perez found a new goal in her Army service.

“I finished my eight-year contract and was out for a few months when I decided to come back in as an Officer Candidate School candidate. I graduated from OCS at Fort Moore, Georgia on March 18, 2010.”

It was during a deployment to Iraq where she decided to consider a new MOS: finance.

“I was deployed to Iraq in 2003 with an engineer unit. It was very physical work. We would build guard towers and construct showers and latrines. We put up concertina wire around the base perimeter” said Guerrero-Perez. “After walking into the finance office for an advance, I realized I needed a different military occupational specialty. Ultimately, the reason I decided to choose finance is due to my accounting degree that I earned at Northern Illinois University.”

Years later, under a new MOS, Guerrero-Perez found herself serving in another deployment, this time to Afghanistan.

While deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan from November 2014 to September 2015, then Captain Guerrero-Perez volunteered to work for the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan.

“I was part of the CJ8. As the executive officer, I worked for an Air Force colonel. My supervisor was an Army lieutenant colonel,” said Guerrero-Perez. “During my deployment, there were one or two times when we had security concerns. We had very long days.”

CJ8 was made up of four sections: Programs and analysis, Auditors, NATO trust fund and budget management.

“Each section had a different role,” explained Guerrero-Perez. “As the executive officer, I coordinated events, tracked due outs, did the in-processing and out-processing of assigned Soldiers and made sure they were taken care.”

The deployment also provided an opportunity to work with NATO forces.

“That’s what makes the Army nice. You get to meet all these individuals from different backgrounds and create experiences,” said Guerrero-Perez.

And her family is very proud of her continued military service.

“My family is really proud of me and supports my decision to continue serving in the Army Reserve,” she said. “Being in the Army Reserve and meeting all the people I have met has influenced who I am today.”

She is currently serving as a major in the 85th USARSC Inspector General’s office.

“Being in the Army Reserve is a commitment that requires self-motivation and can have lifetime rewards. I have built lifelong friendships by serving in the Army Reserve,” said Guerrero-Perez.

Guerrero-Perez, who is very proud of her 23 years of Army Reserve service, reflected fondly of the Soldiers from her past deployment.

“I would also like to give a shout out to the 376th Financial Management Support Unit,” said Guerrero-Perez. “That’s the unit I initially deployed with to Afghanistan.”