Warrior of Week -- Senior Airman Regina Manginell

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Rachel Martinez
  • 319th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  In the past, before the migration, when you called the 319th Communications Squadron's Communication Focal Point, your call was answered by a client support technician.

One of the technicians that answered your call could have been Senior Airman Regina Manginell, but who is Airman Manginell?

Is she a mythical voice on the other end of the line? Or is she a miracle-worker who knew how to fix your computer issue that you had tried all day to fix?

Well those are good guesses but Airman Manginell is more than a voice, she is a person with a wide variety of experiences and interests.

"My dad was in the Air Force, and he met my mom when he stationed in the Philippines and they got married," said Airman Manginell about her background.

"I wasn't born in the hospital on base," recalls Airman Manginell with a smile. "I was born in a hut."

Airman Manginell explained that her family moved with her father when he received a new assignment.

"Once, my dad had this special duty assignment where he was part of the presidential guard," said Airman Manginell. "Sometimes, he would take me to work and I would sit in the break room while he worked. At times, I could look out the window and see President Bill Clinton walk by or in the distance. I never got to meet the President but I still thought that was so cool that he was right there."

As Airman Manginell grew older, her family settled down in North Beach, Md.

"North Beach is a suburb, 30 to 45 minutes away from Baltimore and Washington, D.C.," explained Airman Manginell about her hometown.

Airman Manginell joined the Air Force more than three years ago.

"I needed a change from what I was doing and I liked the benefits that were offered," said Airman Manginell.

"When I came in, I came in as open administrator," said Airman Manginell. "I had information manager on my list and I didn't know what to expect. I knew it had to deal with paperwork but when I got here, I did paperwork. Then I got an opportunity to go to the other side of information management, which was computers, and I enjoy that a lot more."

Not only does Airman Manginell work as a client support technician on base, she also works as a nursing assistant in Larimore, N.D.

"I was and still am licensed as a nursing assistant before I came into the Air Force," said Airman Manginell. "Before I came into the military, I worked in an Alzheimer's unit for about four years and I loved it."

Although she relishes her past, she is focused on her future.

"I have received my Community College of the Air Force degree and I am continuing school to become a registered nurse," added Airman Manginell about her future plans. "I hope to go into the cardiology department as a registered nurse and hopefully work towards my master's as a nurse practitioner."

An average person would be exhausted working two jobs a week and pursing an education but Airman Manginell is more than average, she still finds time to develop her interests.

"My interests include dancing, hanging out with my friends, going to the movies, going out and road trips," said Airman Manginell.