Senior Airman Elizabeth Quigg Airman Spotlight
By Master Sgt. Chris Schepers
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany —
Name: SrA Elizabeth Quigg
Location: Born and raised in Bel Air, Maryland. Currently reside in Ramstein, Germany
Unit: 135th Intelligence Squadron
State you serve in: Maryland
Awards:
2023 Maryland Society Sons of the American Revolution – Maryland 400 Distinguished Service Medal
ACC Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Awards Program (AFISRAP) Outstanding Air Reserve Component Airman of the Year 2023 Winner
Bronze covered Military Marching Badge- Norwegian Foot March Foreign Skills Badge 2023
Date enlisted: 3 December 2020
Date started at the Maryland Air National Guard: 10 December 2021
Military Occupational Specialty/AFSC: Cryptologic Analyst and Reporter (1N452)
Why did you decide to join? Do you come from a military family?
I decided to join the Maryland Air National Guard when Covid hit. I was starting my degree in community college and when classes moved to a virtual format my lifestyle felt empty. I searched for the next adventure as I continued my college education and the Air National Guard felt like a perfect fit.
I do not directly come from a military family. Distant family members have served; however, I am a first-generation Airman and the only member of my immediate family who has served. I knew that if I did not join the military, I would have regretted the decision later.
What has been your favorite moment or part of serving? Why is it important that you serve?
My favorite memory while serving was being able to participate in the Norwegian Foot March. To earn the coveted Norwegian foot-march skill insignia, participants complete an 18.6-mile course in uniform and weighted 25-pound rucksack. I was allotted a maximum of 4 hours 50 minutes to complete the ruck. My husband, a member of the Marine Corps, completed this ruck with me. He motivated me to cross the finish line, despite all the pain and blisters. I was able to complete this event and earn the foreign service badge. This was one of the hardest, yet most rewarding things I have done. I thought it was a unique opportunity to be able to participate in another country’s military event.
It is important to serve to be able to give back to a greater organization. Being in the military has enabled me to have experiences that I would not have had if I did not serve. Working with the community, whether that is a small hometown project, to a multi-country organization, has a substantial impact and great fulfillment.
Favorite quote or saying or life lesson learned through?
My favorite quote so far is very short, but powerful. My past commander in Ramstein, Germany always used to say “JFC” which stands for “Just Freaking Care”. It is such a simple quote, but truly I believe that service members are most effective when they care about one another both in and out of uniform. When I PCS’d to Germany for my 2-year tour, this was my first time leaving the country and first time going through a major PCS. I do not know how I would have made it if my coworkers and fellow service members did not care as much as they did. I always had a ride to work, flexibility around the moving process, and people who always made sure I was able to go to the commissary to get food. Caring about one another truly makes a stronger force, and I hope to live by this quote as I explore the process of commissioning to be an Intelligence Officer.
What does it mean to be able to serve in the United States military in your hometown through the Maryland Air National Guard?
I am honored to serve in the Maryland Air National Guard. I love the diversity of missions and opportunities available to service members. From the peace-partnership with Estonia, to opportunities to serve alongside active-duty counterparts, you can really choose the path that is right for your career goals. The Total Force Integration aspect of serving in a reserve component is truly what makes serving in the Maryland Air National Guard unique.
Can you give us some insight on your current assignment and some of the highlights/achievements you have had during your mission?
During my time with the 450th Intelligence Squadron Partner Engagements (PE) team I have done a multitude of tasks that contribute to the SIGINT Military-to-Military (SM2M) community. I have analyzed hundreds of pages of data and authored 67 serialized signals intelligence (SIGINT) reports for the Intelligence Community (IC). My published serialized reporting has received critical feedback and high priority feedbacks from offices such as the Office of Naval Intelligence and EUCOM, reports have also reached the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In addition, I was hand-picked to brief senior leaders up to O-8 on US military engagements with foreign partners in EUCOM. I also help to manage third-party partnerships that strengthen the third-party partner integration into U.S. operations. Finally, I have resolved several requests for information (RFI) from various units which fulfilled intelligence gaps for different IC entities.
Anything else we should know about or you would like to add that we did not ask?
Since being stationed at Ramstein, Germany I have been able to travel across Europe and experience a wide variety of cultures. I have visited many parts of Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Luxemburg, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Portugal, Belgium, and the Czech Republic.
If given the opportunity, I would encourage everyone to step out of their comfort zone and experience what the world has to offer!
