Warrior of the Week: Airman 1st Class Andrea Clark

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Derek VanHorn
  • 319th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  The idea to serve her country was always there. The timing, however, was a different story.

"I wanted to join the military my whole life," said Airman 1st Class Andrea Clark. "It was an awkward time to join after having three kids, but for stability, joining the Air Force was the best move I could have made."

An economical slump in the construction business left Clark and husband, Kale, in a tough spot with an important decision to make. Supporting their three children -- Kayla, 9, Austin, 7, and Layne, 5 -- the couple decided to play role reversal as Clark went off to basic military training while Kale stayed home and kept after the family.

While Clark called the time away from her loved ones "very difficult and a huge challenge," it was a change made easier by her strong foundational beliefs.

"My faith has gotten me through more obstacles than anything else in my life," said the Bozeman, Mont., native. "Prayer got me through basic training and technical school where I wasn't able to be with my family.

"My husband and kids are everything to me," she added.

Clark's experience as a mother has directly benefited her Air Force career. Raising and directing three children was an ideal prelude to doing the same for airplanes in the sky.

Clark is an air traffic controller with the 319th Operations Support Squadron where she said she communicates with pilots, keeps the planes separated in the sky, and keeps the air traffic safe. Her specialty is working radar, where she and her co-workers scope a 120-mile radius responsible for nine ATC towers.

She said she enjoys the work because "it changes every day and you are never doing the same thing."

When she signed up, Clark didn't know working as an air traffic controller was considered one of the toughest career fields in the Air Force, but she won't let it slow her down.

"A lot of people get washed out because air traffic is very difficult and stressful," she said. "You have other people's lives in your hands when you're at work, but I love it."

There are four different crews in Clark's shop - something she likes most about her job.

"They probably don't know this yet, but I really like working with the Airmen around me," she said. "Moving around and working with all the different crews is really nice because I get to interact with all of them.

"They make me laugh and it's nice that they feel comfortable to come ask me for advice. I like to help them out with life situations because I have a little more experience than they do," she said. "I like working with them, I really do."

To help with challenges of raising a family and working a very demanding full-time job, you will find Clark at the gym -- her "home away from home."

"I love to work out and I'm very competitive," said Clark, who played basketball, volleyball, softball, and ran track in high school.

She also is training for a marathon in May, an event that will stay on her bucket list until she competes.

Another dream Clark has is to return to nursing school. She has two years under her belt and hopes to finish up her degree when the time is right.

"My dream job is to be a nurse practitioner," she said. "I am a very strong believer in education; it changes your whole life. Knowledge really is power if you put it to work."