Whether it's piloting a jet, standing guard in a war zone, or rising through the military ranks, Penn Staters are continuing a long tradition of serving their country in the U.S. armed forces. This year, as part of its Military Appreciation Week, Penn State will celebrate 100 years of women officially serving in the military.
This is the second photo album depicting female Penn Staters serving in the United States military. Every Tuesday for the next few weeks, Penn State Today will feature a new gallery of images showing women in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and National Guard. These photos also will be featured on Penn State News.
This year's Military Appreciation Week at the University begins with a Penn State football game on Oct. 27 leading up to Veterans Day on Nov. 11. This year's theme will recognize 100 years of women officially serving in the U.S. armed forces with special events and activities, including community football tailgate, library showcase, speaker events and more. For additional information, visit militaryappreciation.psu.edu.
A previous album of Penn State women serving in the military can be found here.
Navy Lt. Samantha (Thompson) Johnson and her husband, Todd Johnson, on the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. This photo, taken in 2014 on the 70th anniversary of D-Day, was captured just after the promotion ceremony for 10 new lieutenants, including Samantha Johnson, from Patrol Squadron 4. "It is an honor and a privilege to serve my country," said Johnson. Johnson is still active duty, currently serving as a P-3 pilot, MQ-4C air vehicle operator, and a weapons and tactics instructor at the Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Weapons School in Jacksonville, Florida. Johnson is a 2010 Penn State graduate in aerospace engineering and an alumna of the University's Naval ROTC program.
Lt. Greta Stevens, a member of the United States Navy Nurse Corps, poses with her mother, Renee Stevens, on board the USNS Comfort in 2015. Renee Stevens is a retired Nurse Corps officer herself and was able to join her daughter for the final few days of her deployment for a Tiger Cruise back in the U.S., which allows family members to join the mission for a short period of time. Greta Stevens earned a bachelor of science degree in nursing from Penn State in 2013 and was in the Naval ROTC program at the University.
Army Spc. Chantel Harley was caught in a candid moment as she was about to exit a Chinook helicopter. Harley, who worked as an avionics mechanic for the military, now works for Penn State as an admissions counselor. She earned a bachelor's degree from the College of the Liberal Arts in 2013 and is currently pursuing a master's degree in homeland security at Penn State.
Brittany Tryzbiak, a captain in the U.S. Army, overlooks the mountains of Gardez, Afghanistan, during a deployment with the 101st Airborne Division in 2011. Her unit was there to support a partnership with the Afghan National Army. In 2009, Tryzbiak earned a bachelor of arts degree in crime, law and justice from Penn State.
Penn State alumna Heidi Pross, a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, is shown in Marietta, Georgia, in 2004 working on the C-5 AMP program, helping Lockheed update the fly by wire/dial system to a glass cockpit. Pross' educational experiences at Penn State were huge influences in the advice and decisions she made during the program. In 2003, Pross earned a bachelor of science degree in psychology. She was a member of the Penn State Air Force ROTC program.
Army 2nd Lt. Hannah Levine, a fire support officer for E/2-1 Cavalry Regiment, proudly poses with her Penn State flag after returning from an advising mission with the Security Forces Assistance Brigade in Logar Province, Afghanistan. Levine is a 2017 Penn State graduate in public relations in the Bellisario College of Communications.
United States Marine Corps Maj. Lindsay Mathwick is shown at the end of a six-week training exercise in 29 Palms, California, August 2018. Her unit, Combat Logistics Battalion-1, participated in the integrated training exercise with two infantry battalions and numerous aviation squadrons. Mathwick is a 2004 Penn State graduate in earth sciences and was commissioned into the Marines from Penn State Naval ROTC.
Sgt. Sue (Ruggero) Kohler served in the U.S. Army from 1976 to 1979. This photo was taken in 1978 when Kohler was promoted to sergeant. Her husband, Alan Kohler, pinned on her stripes. Both were stationed at Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas. "I am proud to be an Army veteran and a PSU alum," she said. Sue Kohler, a Russian linguist, was in the Army Security Agency, which later became the Intelligence and Security Command. She used the GI Bill in 1980 to attend Penn State Mont Alto, graduating with an associate degree in business in 1984.
United States Navy Lt. Jennifer Knapp has been serving for eight years and just began her graduate degree through Penn State World Campus. Knapp, pictured in front of an aircraft on display at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, flies a Mercury E-6 out of Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma.
U.S. Air Force Capt. Danielle (Johnson) Miller had just returned to the United States from deployment in Southwest Asia in 2012 when this photo was taken. Miller shed a few tears of joy as she held her 11-month-old son, Owen. Miller is a 2004 Penn State graduate in biology.
U.S. Army Capt. Chelsea T. Allen, is shown while serving in Afghanistan in 2016. Allen, a Schreyer Honors College student while at Penn State, graduated in 2014 with a degree in history.
U.S. Army Sgt. Donise Johnson is shown getting ready to do a sound check to sing the National Anthem at the 2016 Daytona 500. Johnson was a member of the 82nd All-American Airborne Chorus, a military singing group that performs all over the world. Johnson is a 2012 Penn State graduate in film-video.