First Lieutenant Laurie Albarino

One sure sign of leadership is not being afraid of a daunting challenge. After serving in the enlisted ranks, 1st Lt. Laurie A. Albarino was on her way to an ambitious future through Officer Training School when she was involved in a near-fatal automobile accident. The accident left her with severe injuries and she spent three months recuperating at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Overcoming physical challenges, including learning to walk again, she was returned to active duty status and subsequently completed OTS. Soon after, she was assigned as the only female maintenance officer at Cape Canaveral AS, then went to Patrick AFB where she managed space launch contracts and contractors. Now working in the munitions field, she has just one class to go to get her MBA from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. First Lieuenant Albarino juggles her demanding professional life with being a single mother. As a former enlisted member, she is an outstanding role model for her squadron, says her supervisor, "If all my officers were like Laurie, I wouldn't have a worry in the world."