ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. — U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command Attorney-Advisor LaTonya McFadden represents a legacy of service. McFadden is a certified military brat, the daughter of Army parents and the niece of Navy and Air Force uncles. Growing up in a military environment provided her with the insight, support, and determination to serve not only the Air Force, but the Army, APG, and CECOM.
Hailing from New Jersery, McFadden holds a degree in criminal justice from Rutgers University and a juris doctorate from North Carolina Central University School of Law. In 2000, she answered the call to action and joined the Air Force. McFadden was an air operations controller until 2008. In this role, she coordinated the departure, arrival, and maintenance of a fleet of KC-135 refueling tanker aircraft.
The Air Force allowed McFadden to see the world through her service. Some of her best experiences were in Turkey, London, and Texas.For McFadden, the benefits of the Army Civilian Corps outweighed the benefits of the Air Force.
“I had some experiences in the Air Force that made me realize I wanted a better understanding of the law,” McFadden said, explaining why she became an Army Civilian. “[The Army] has a great culture, and I grew up in the Army culture. So, I just knew it would be a great place to work.”
McFadden became a DA civilian in 2008. The Base Realignment and Closure of Fort Monmouth, New Jersey moved her to APG in 2010. McFadden sought to expand her personal and professional skill set to better support the Army. Briefly in 2014, took an administrative judge position with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, adjudicating labor and employment law cases. Then in 2016, McFadden worked with the Defense Information Systems Agency to do more acquisition and procurement law. Finally, she returned to CECOM in 2023 with more experiences and skills under her belt.
“I was able to see how other agencies do things, to experience the culture in other agencies–and the Army is where it’s at,” McFadden said with a laugh.
In her current position as an attorney advisor, McFadden provides “cradle to grave” legal support for source selections, litigates bid protests and claims filed against the Army, provides comprehensive legal support during contract administration and closeout actions, mentors junior attorneys, and develops procurement and acquisition training.
“We are part of the team that procures C5ISR equipment and services for our warfighters,” McFadden said. “I provide legal support from the time CECOM realizes they need something. I guide them through the process of procuring it in a legal way. They’re going through the right sources, they’re doing the competition the right way, they’re spending their money the right way. They [avoid law violations] to ensure Soldiers can get what they need.”
McFadden says the work is challenging and complex, but the people she works with are amazing and make every day better. She describes having a people-oriented career as a double-edged sword.
“Sometimes [the most challenging aspect] is also the people,” she said. “Every now and then you come across people who want what they want when they want it, but sometimes you have to step back and remember those conflict resolution skills.”
According to McFadden, what makes her job most fulfilling is supporting the warfighter.
“Every action that I assist on that helps a Soldier get what they need is a great accomplishment,” she said. “That’s what we’re here for, to support the warfighters.”
Weightlifting journey
McFadden first got into weightlifting during her time in the Air Force due to physical training. At APG, the Judge Advocate General’s Corps officers welcomed her to join them in their PT.
“Some units do it every morning, some units do it in the afternoon,” McFadden said. “But I just never stopped. Once I got into the habit of getting up and exercising regularly, I just never stopped. Weightlifting became a way of life, and I love the benefits and rewards, both physical and mental.”
McFadden’s husband professionally competed and served as a big inspiration for her journey. To prepare for her first competition on July 27, 2024, McFadden watched various bodybuilding competitions with competitors that inspired her. Her time in service was also integral to the preparation process.
“Preparing for a bodybuilding competition is a very structured process,” McFadden said. “[Both] require a lot of discipline. [But] with a bodybuilding competition you train and diet for months to build a physique that will be showcased on stage for a very short time. Overall, bodybuilding requires the same level of structure, discipline, and consistency a lot of soldiers demonstrate to maintain their physiques and excel in their physical fitness tests.”
A lot goes into preparing for a competition and there are multiple moving parts, McFadden said. She listed some of the parts as training, meal planning, posing practice, and proper hydration.
“Some days you don’t see results,” McFadden said. “You have to stay focused on your goals. Every meal and every workout, you just have to make it count, because at the end of the day the hard work is going to show itself when you are on stage.”
McFadden is ultimately grateful for her “supportive” team and CECOM. Her supervisor and team were “creative” in supporting her, sometimes hiding their food because she could “sniff out a carb,” McFadden joked.
“If I could shout my team out a thousand times then I would because I could not have done this without them,” she added.
In March 2023, CECOM leadership introduced the Civilian Fitness Health Promotion Program, a program that enhances the health, fitness, and quality of life of civilians while increasing organizational wellness and mission productivity. This program was essential to McFadden’s success.
“I took full advantage of the Army’s [CFHPP] where you get paid time off to work out,” she said. “Anything I could squeeze in and get done during that allotted time; I made it work out. Because there are only 24 hours in a day and if I had 4 hours’ worth of stuff to do for the competition that hour--one hour was integral.”
With the support of her family, team, and CECOM, McFadden won the entirety of The National Physique Committee Virginia Natural & Clash of the Titans’ Women’s Wellness Division: True Novice, Masters 35+, Masters 40+, and Armed Forces. According to NPC, the Wellness Division is for women with “athletic physiques that showcase more body mass in the hips, glutes, and thigh areas. The upper body is developed but not to the same degree as the lower body.”
McFadden will continue her bodybuilding journey with an upcoming competition in February 2025.
Her journey is just another shining example of CECOM’s promise to always put people first. CECOM maintains high standards of the workforce’s health to ensure the Army is capable and ready to holistically support its warfighters.
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