Humble family readiness group staffer honored with Spirit of Hope award

By Devon L. SuitsNovember 8, 2017

Humble family readiness group staffer honored with Spirit of Hope award
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Jenniffer Corriea, the Army's 2017 Spirit of Hope award recipient, sits next to Col. Derrick S. Lee, commander of the 501st Military Intelligence Brigade, and Robert Irvine, the Defense Departments recipient, at the Spirit of Hope award's ceremony in... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Humble family readiness group staffer honored with Spirit of Hope award
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Jenniffer Corriea, the Army's 2017 Spirit of Hope award recipient, smiles and interacts with guests at the conclusion of the award's ceremony held in the Pentagon, October 26, 2017. Corriea received the award for helping to improve the quality of li... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Humble family readiness group staffer honored with Spirit of Hope award
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Every year, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard each nominate one individual or organization for patriotism and service to members of the United States Armed Forces, as part of the annual "Spiri... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. -- Growing up, Jenniffer Corriea was always taught to strive for excellence. The rewards in life, she'd been told, would come from knowing you did the right thing.

"I credit my mom," she said. "The expectation of a 'thank you' can cause bitterness or hurt feelings when not provided. Those feelings can eat away at the real reason why you are helping others."

Corriea said she has always tried to remain humble and to never expect recognition.

Corriea's humility, however, hasn't prevented those around her from recognizing the great things she does. Her former leadership at the 501st Military Intelligence Brigade at Camp Humphries, South Korea, for instance, saw something great in her and wanted to make sure others knew about it too.

SPIRIT OF HOPE AWARDS

Every year, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard each nominate one individual or organization for patriotism and service to members of the United States Armed Forces, as part of the annual "Spirit of Hope" awards.

Each award recipient is said to embody the key characteristics once displayed by entertainer Bob Hope, including honor, courage, loyalty, commitment, integrity, and selfless dedication, according to award officials.

Thanks to a nomination by the 501st Military Intelligence Brigade, Corriea was able to represent the Army at the awards, and was recognized as a 2017 Spirit of Hope award winner during a ceremony at the Pentagon, October 26.

SUPPORT IN CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENT

While serving as a family readiness support advisor for the Army, Corriea helped to improve the quality of life of service members and their families in South Korea, said Air Force Gen. Paul Selva, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during the award ceremony.

Corriea was responsible for many programs and initiatives in Korea, Selva said, and she helped countless service members and their families make the transition into a challenging overseas assignment.

"Never before in our history has our force been asked to do so much, for so long, with so few," Selva said. "More than 82,000 of our colleagues are deployed worldwide, away from their homes, defending the United States' vital interests.

"We've asked an awful lot of our young men and women, and we should be incredibly grateful to every individual and organization that pours out their support and resources to help ease the burden that is carried by those members of our armed forces," Selva said.

ARMY VETERAN

When it came to determining her future career path, Corriea admitted that serving in the Army wasn't her first choice. In fact, it was Corriea's college roommate that persuaded her to get involved with their university's ROTC program.

"It was my sophomore year. They had just upped the tuition, and my scholarship wasn't changing," Corriea said. "I was wondering, how I am going to pay for the rest of college?"

After completing several classes to meet the ROTC program requirements, Corriea was hooked.

"I liked the structure and the regimentation," she said. "It fitted in with my personality, and I knew exactly what to do and where to be."

As Corriea launched into her career as a medical service corps officer in 2005, her commitment to the nation was amplified as she started helping her fellow Soldiers, she said.

Having spent most of her career on Fort Campbell, Kentucky, the young officer worked as a healthcare administrator, coordinating care for Soldiers, veterans, and families. Additionally, in 2006, she deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Regrettably, after sustaining a back injury, Corriea's Army career was cut short. Her injury, combined with other medical issues, meant she had to medically retire in November 2011.

In the wake of her retirement, Corriea was forced to find her "new normal." Instead of immediately launching herself down a new career path, she would spend the next two years improving her health through rigorous amounts of physical therapy.

In addition to her treatments, Corriea took some time to travel around the United States. After spending several months visiting family in Hawaii and South Korea, Corriea knew she had found a new calling.

"My sister calls it my 'eat, pray, love' adventure," said Corriea. "When I got back to the U.S., I just started looking for jobs in South Korea."

In the interim, Corriea took a new position at the Fort Campbell dental clinic. Six months later, she received notification of an offer to work with the 501st MIB at Camp Humphries.

"It was a life overhaul," she said. "I sold everything and put a few things in storage. It was just me, two suitcases, and two cats -- Patrick and Omni -- on our way to South Korea. It was pretty awesome."

CHANGING THE MINDSET

As she started her new position with the Family Readiness Group on Camp Humphries, Corriea found that many Soldiers and families perceived the group to be nothing more than a family social club, she said.

"A lot of people didn't understand why there was an FRG in South Korea," she said. "Family readiness groups in the United States focus on gearing up Soldiers for deployments. They make sure families are self-sufficient and capable of handling any issues while their Soldiers deployed.

"In South Korea, it's different," she said. "Families are there for their Soldiers as they prepare for the fight. If we were to go to war, or if anything were to happen in South Korea, the Soldiers are going to be focused on their mission."

In Korea, readiness is at an all-time high, more-so than anywhere else in the Army.

"In terms of heightened readiness, it is almost like being in a deployed environment, but the bullets aren't flying," said Col. Derrick S. Lee, the 501st MI brigade commander.

To align with the "fight tonight" mentality set by Army leaders, Corriea worked hard to, among other things, help families become better prepared for potential noncombatant evacuation operations. When combat breaks out, a NEO order is given that requires noncombatant family members to be evacuated.

"I would have to tell spouses, 'you're the only one that's leaving. Your Soldiers are not going to be able to help with your kids, bags or pets,'" she said. "I wasn't trying to freak anyone out, but they needed to be prepared. It is just like a fire drill. You want them to know where all the exits are and what to do if a fire were to happen."

Corriea's involvement during NEO exercises ensured that lines of communication between FRG leaders and the NEO war rooms stayed open, Lee said, adding that she would constantly push messages down the chain to keep families informed.

UNITING THE ARMY FAMILY

In addition to supporting the NEO mission, Corriea also noticed that a huge population of un-accompanied Soldiers would spend a considerable amount of time alone in their barracks. In a high-operations tempo environment like South Korea, too much alone time has been known to lead to depression -- or worse, she said.

Working with the Army Community Service center and Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers, Corriea helped generate a list of free activities and made them readily available to all Soldiers.

Additionally, during the newcomer's orientation, Corriea would provide a transportation tour to help incoming Soldiers and their families become familiar with the robust South Korean transportation system, she said.

"It was just a matter of getting the information out there. That is what people were lacking," she said.

To help, Corriea also relied on social media to better connect Soldiers and their families, both in South Korea and abroad.

Although Soldiers can get a bulk of their information through the garrison website, Corriea said, social media sites -- like a spouses' group on Facebook -- can immediately connect families to a network of personnel already serving on an installation.

"Families want to know where the better schools are, or what neighborhoods to avoid," she added. "My recommendation is not only to connect via social media, but also through the unit FRG. Information, communication and connection are the keys to success."

True to her humble nature, Corriea attributes her receipt of the Spirt of Hope award to everybody who worked alongside her at the FRG in Korea.

"To me, the Bob Hope medallion is symbolic of how small efforts can have a large impact," she said. "I don't believe that I did anything grand or extraordinary. When I look at the award, I am reminded of the collaborative effort of a team, the kindness and dedication of our spouses and families to supporting the Soldiers, and the mission in South Korea. I played a small part of the overall mission.

"I am humbled and honored to have been recognized," she said. "People are what matters. This award reaffirms my philosophy to focus on doing the right thing and strive to improve my surroundings -- and appreciation and recognition will eventually follow."

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