EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- Serving in Alaska is a whole new journey for one Medical Service Corps officer. Maj. Elizabeth Mangini serves in the 168th Wing, 168th Medical Group, at Eielson Air Force Base. She started in the Army in the Medical Service Corps and has returned to the MSC career field in the Alaska Air National Guard.
“I could have never predicted the path that led me to become an Air Force MSC and Alaska National Guard Officer,” said Mangini. “From Active-duty Army MSC to Alaska Air National Guard MSC has been an adventure.”
In 2003 Mangini was commissioned into the Army Medical Department, serving at every echelon, from the point of injury on the battlefield, helping to set up ambulance exchange points in Iraq to working at the strategic level, serving as the medical liaison for Army Public Affairs on the Army Staff at the Pentagon.
“I was very lucky to have had the opportunity to serve in the Army,” said Mangini. “I had so many wonderful mentors and was always surrounded by guardian angels. Army medics are the lifeblood of the force. They continue to show their relevance as they lead the way in the COVID-19 Pandemic response, everything from research and development to deploying into hard-hit communities.”
During her entire Army career, the nation was at war.
“I was proud to be a small part of the contributions of Army medicine,” said Mangini.
Mangini served in the Army until 2015 when she took a break in service. “We are a dual military family, and I took a break to be the continuity for our family at the time.”
During this time, she found Alaska while visiting her sister and brother-in-law, who were in the military and stationed in Alaska.
Mangini explained the wonder and excitement they had found, “We fell in love with the community and culture. We knew it was the ideal place to live, work and raise our family. We took a leap of faith and moved to Alaska when my husband landed a civilian job working for the Air Force Civil Engineer Center at JBER.”
“Our family reconnected in so many ways but, we felt an aching in our hearts,” said Mangini. “We missed being in the military, and we missed serving.”