Camp Darby’s Yasmine Lajimi exemplifies resiliency and service

PISA, Italy – When Yasmine Lajimi married her high school sweetheart, Senior Airman Joey Simpson, it marked the beginning of a new adventure – even though neither of them made it to the wedding.

With 19-year-old Lajimi in Michigan and 20-year-old Simpson in Germany, the cost and logistics of getting married in-person were prohibitive. So, the pair opted for a double-proxy marriage. “Basically, two people in Montana stood together and got married for us,” said Lajimi. “He was in Germany, I was in Michigan; one day we weren’t married and the next day we were.”

The couple is still unsure about their actual anniversary, as the marriage certificate lists two dates and they received the official documents in different time zones on the third. “So [our wedding date] was May 1, 2, and 3,” Lajimi said with a laugh.

Fortunately, they had a memorable honeymoon-of-sorts, moving to Camp Darby in January of 2020. After living in a single room at the Casa for three months, they finally secured their own place – three days before the COVID-19 shutdown. “We moved in with our suitcase and an air mattress and that’s where we stayed,” Lajimi said.

It was a unique beginning but the pair embraced the adventure. “There were some stressful moments but we had our first house together and we had trails in our backyard so we had access to fresh air and nature,” Lajimi said. “We just hunkered down and hung out with each other.”

Lajimi is accustomed to navigating challenges with creativity and optimism. Her Tunisian father left when she was only two and she was raised by a single mother. “It’s not a fun challenge to try to navigate something like that, but one that makes you who you are,” Lajimi said.

After she graduated high school, Lajimi decided to find her father. She boarded a bus for the 19-hour ride from Michigan to Montreal, followed by an 8-hour plane trip to Tunisia. “I was scared of the unknown,” she said. “But I thought, it will either go well or not … If it didn’t go well, I would just go on like I always had but if it went well, then I would have more family than before.”

Going from Michigan to Tunisia came with a bit of culture shock. “They were all screaming at each other in Arabic in the parking lot,” Lajimi said. “I asked if there was a problem and [my uncle] said ‘No, we’re just paying for parking.’ It was definitely different.”

Lajimi met her father’s extended family, including some of her half-siblings. “I couldn’t speak their language [a dialect of Arabic mixed with French] but I could speak a little French with them,” she said. Undeterred, Lajimi adapted, embraced the new adventure, and ended up connecting with her father.

The skills Lajimi gained from navigating challenging situations have made her an invaluable asset at Camp Darby. She started out working at Army Community Service (ACS), where she established the Wellness Wednesday program, before taking an administrative assistant job with the 731st MUNS. “My husband and I joke that I’m the boss now because I’m the secretary to his boss, the commander,” she said with a laugh.

Lajimi is also an avid volunteer, especially at the U.S. Army Garrison Italy Darby Military Community (DMC) library where she helps with special projects and story times. She’s especially adept at creating innovative video content to enrich the lives of military families and connect them with library resources. “Volunteering opens the door to build more experience,” Lajimi said. “And it’s just more enriching to be connected with your community. I don’t just work with them; they’re my friends.”

According to Lead Library Technician Debora Lomi and Library Technician Cinzia Siciliano, Lajimi has proven to be an invaluable asset, known for her creativity, strong work ethic, kindness and reliability. “Yasmine is a big support,” Lomi said. “She is a strong woman who is full of talent.”

When the librarians asked Lajimi to create a video for Teen Tech Week, Lajimi crafted it on the spot, in her car. “It was so cute and so smart, and so perfect for teenagers,” Lomi said.

Last year, Lajimi recorded an audio file for the library’s social media, in which she read a Native American book about nature outside to celebrate Earth Day. “It was perfect,” said Siciliani.

Lajimi cares strongly about helping others. That’s why she earned her Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Health and Wellness and is currently preparing for her Certified Health Education Specialist exam while working through a three-in-one health education, patient advocacy and health coaching program at the National Institute of Whole Health. She was inspired to pursue a holistic health career by her mother. “It was hard for me to not be able to help her,” Lajimi said. “I want to help people find what makes them feel better because that’s where your happiness comes from.”

“[Yasmine] really inspires me,” said Lomi. “She’s an amazing woman and we are very lucky to know her.”

Currently, Lajimi and Simpson are looking forward to their next adventure: navigating post-military life back in the States, where Lajimi will pursue her career in health and wellness, while Simpson explores a career in cyber security.

But first on their list? “Well, we still haven’t had a wedding yet,” said Lajimi. “So we’re planning to do that when we get back.” This time, they’re both planning to attend.