This article is written by and features SGT Veronica Palomino

SGT. Veronica Palomino, is a native of Somerset, New Jersey, and graduate of Mother Seton Regional High School in Clark, New Jersey, who now resides in Smyrna, DE. Veronica served in the United States Air Force on active duty from 1982-1987 as a Non-Commissioned Officer, at the Consolidated Base Personnel Office (CBPO). She graduated basic training at Lackland AFB in Texas, where her Training Instructor made her PT monitor because of her demonstrated athleticism in weightlifting, tennis, and softball in high school. She received her Basic Training and Marksmanship ribbon before going to Keesler, AFB in Mississippi for Technical School to become a Personnel Specialist.

Following Technical School, Veronica was stationed at Holloman AFB, New Mexico, where she was promoted to the USAF Honor Guard to provide services over Military Burial in honor of fallen military personnel. Next, in her second duty station, she was assigned to 7275 Tactical Air Command, San Vito Air Station, Italy, as a Personnel Specialist. While there she was promoted to Personnel NCO at the Civil Engineering Squadron. She also competed as a lightweight natural bodybuilder, in Ramstein Germany where she placed in the top 2 female military bodybuilders.

While on Active Duty, Veronica went through and completed CEU educational courses in NCO Trainer, Spoken Italian, Personnel and several other courses through Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and Community College of the Air Force, CCAF. Completing these courses contributed to the completion of two degrees – an Associate of Arts as well as a Bachelor of Science – in Business Administration.

In 1987 upon leaving active duty military service, Veronica immediately joined the Commonwealth of Virginia, Department of Military Affairs as a 2nd Lt. Public Affairs Officer (PAO) with the Lafayette Brigade, in Norfolk, VA. Next, in 2005, she served as a Civilian Logistics and Supply Officer for the Department of Navy, Marine Corps Community Service (MCCS) before relocating to Florida.

In 2009, the next stop in her civilian career was at the VITAS Healthcare Veterans Liaison where Veronica continued to provide final salutes to dying Veterans. In this role, those salutes were bedside. Her care and compassion for dying veterans has been, and will always be, a hallmark of her career.

Concurrently with her civilian career, after 20 years of serving the Military and Veterans, in 2018 Veronica became first women (and women of color) to be appointed as Commander of the Disabled American Veteran (DAV) Chapter # 73, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, a position which she held through 2019. As a result of her selfless service, Veronica was awarded the Governor’s Veteran Service Award.

Veronica’s service to the veteran community did not end there. She also volunteered her time and expertise with:

  1. Area 14 Employment Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) as a Military Outreach Coordinator;
  2. The Broward County Commissioners, as a member of the Advisory Board for Individuals with Disabilities (ABID);
  3. Affordable Housing Advisory Board to represent Veterans (AHAB); and,
  4. As the first Appointed Board Member from the United Way of Broward County, Mission United when it was first established.

Because of Veronica’s overwhelming dedication to her Veteran community, she was asked by the Department of Veteran Affairs, Women’s History, to serve on the Women Veterans: Her Story is our History nationwide posters featured in every VA Hospital across the nation representing the state of New York. Veronica returned to Delaware in 2020 to be closer to family and friends. In 2021, while working as a Human Resources Specialist at Eagle Group located in Clayton, Delaware, Veronica was the guiding force in helping her company receive the Employer Support Guard and Reserve (ESGR) U.S. Department of Defense National Employer as well as the U.S. Department of Commerce Gold Medallion Award.

Veronica currently works at Zip Code Wilmington in Wilmington, Delaware, as the Alumni Volunteer Liaison. She continues to spread the word to transitioning Military and Veterans about community support, namely the VA’s Veterans Technology Education (VET TEC) scholarship and housing assistance program which supports veterans attending the nonprofit company’s 12-week courses in Software Development or Data Engineering & Analytics.

So keep your eyes out for Veronica Palomino, USAF Veteran! I am sure you have not heard the last from her and the remarkable work that she will do for the First State’s Veteran community.

Read more articles from VOM Magazine here: https://www.veteransoutreachministries.org/vom-magazine/