After meeting with a local recruiter at her high school outside of Cincinnati, Deena Ratliff knew the National Guard was a fit for her.
“I really wasn’t interested in the military before that,” she says. “(The recruiter) explained the benefits of the guard. I didn’t know anyone else doing it, and that kind of attracted me to it. It was challenging, and he told me about the free college tuition.”
Having just watched her older sister leave to attend The Ohio State University, the free tuition was especially appealing to Ratliff.
From there, she met with the recruiter once more and, upon turning 18, enlisted in the Guard.
Her original plan was to serve six years, go to college and get a job. But now, 19 years later, Ratliff continues to serve.
“Once I got into the Guard and started working full time, I just really started enjoying what I was doing and the people I was meeting.”
Today, Chief Officer Ratliff serves as a human resources technician in the 16th Engineer Brigade.
A Space to Remember
With Veterans Day upon us, Dublin’s Ground of Remembrance, located in the Veterans Park, is a special way to honor our fallen soldiers.
Founded on Memorial Day in 2009, the Grounds of Remembrance is a space specifically dedicated to recognizing veterans, current members of the armed forces and their families.
Within the grounds is The Memory Wall, which features brass inserts where guests are invited to leave personal messages, as well as The Dedication Wall, where members of the Armed Forces with bronze medallions of the five branches of service are honored, among many other informative and commemorative installations.
The City of Dublin will hold its annual Veterans Day Ceremony at the grounds on Friday, Nov. 11 at 11 a.m.
For more information, visit www.dublinveterans.com.
NGAUS Award
In August 2021, at the 143rd annual National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS) General Conference & Exhibition in Las Vegas, Ratliff was awarded the Eagle Rising Award for Army National Guard warrant officers. Selected by the National Guard, the award is given to warrant officers who demonstrate dedicated service, outstanding leadership and technical skills.
“I was really honored and appreciative that people in Ohio thought my service was worthy of (the award),” Ratliff says. “I was honored to represent Ohio in a positive manner.”
Representatives from all 54 states and territories attended the conference, and Ratliff felt honored to accept the award on Ohio’s behalf.
She accredits her NGAUS mentors for her success in the Guard.
“When I first started, if I asked a question, my mentors would never give me the answer,” Ratliff says. “They made me go research the regulations and policies, and I think that really helped my technical skills in my specialty now.”
Ratliff works in personnel, ensuring that close to 1,600 soldiers have the best possible experience in the Guard.
She’s always striving to do better, too.
“I’m huge on process improvement,” Ratliff says. “Any position I work in, I try to find an area to be improved. That’s my goal.”
When she worked in recruiting, Ratliff started a mentorship program to attract aspiring warrant officers. The mentors worked one-on-one with the trainees to help them become officers.
Ratliff’s responsiveness also made her a clear candidate for the award. She was notified about deployment to Kuwait and told that she could have 120 days to deploy. Ratliff waived the 120 days and deployed immediately in 2020, serving until May 2021.
“I thought it was important to be (in Kuwait) and start forming those relationships,” she says.
Under the Camo
Outside of her service, Ratliff has a decorated family life in Dublin. She has two daughters, ages 8 and 10, whose lives she remains very involved in despite the demands of her career.
“Before my deployment, I was a leader for my daughter’s Girl Scout Troupe,” she says. “I was their treasurer, which took up a lot of time, especially around cookie sale season.”
She also served as the warrant officer trustee on the Ohio National Guard Association, which functions under NGAUS.
Her daughters attend Scottish Corners Elementary, where Ratliff enjoys volunteering and helping out in whatever way she can.
Both of Ratliff’s daughters are involved in the Dublin soccer scene, and Ratliff assists with coaching for the Dublin Soccer League.
Keeping her career in mind, Ratliff says she takes on small volunteer roles in multiple organizations so no group is at a major loss if she has to suddenly deploy.
To her daughters, though, Ratliff’s volunteering is anything but small.
“My kids love it when they see me at the school or helping out,” she says.
Ratliff’s “small” roles are a testament to the value volunteers can bring to a community. She recommends that anyone, even if they don’t think they have the time for it, volunteer in some capacity, no matter how big or small.
Ratliff is grateful for the life she and her family have in Dublin.
“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone to the grocery store in my uniform and people come up to me to thank me for my service,” she says. “I don’t think people realize how much that means to me, especially if I take my kids in…when they see people come up to me and thank me for my service, it really tells them how important my job is.”
Megan Roth is an editor for CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at mroth@cityscenemediagroup.com.
