Throughout Erica Walker's life, one trait has dictated how her journey would unfold: determination. She grew up in New Hampshire and studied hard in school to receive a full-tuition scholarship to any four-year college in the nation. Then, she discovered the U.S. Army Reserves.

Instantly, it clicked: this is what she wanted to do. Walker visited the local recruiting office, where she was told there was an opportunity for her to be one of the first women in a combat-related military occupational specialty. Never one to turn down a challenge, Walker readily agreed, giving up her scholarship in the process. Though her family was initially concerned about her choice, Walker was determined to see her contract through.

Her first deployment was to Germany with the Air Defense Artillery as a Private First Class and PATRIOT Missile Crewmember. These missiles are the U.S. Army's most advanced air defense system-and she was responsible for operating them. "Prior to that, women weren't allowed to do combat duties, so I was really crossing that boundary," she says.

While in Germany, Walker met her future husband. After completing her tour, she became pregnant with their son. She changed from active duty to the reserves, but once 9/11 happened, she was reactivated as a Human Resources Specialist. "What I'm most proud of," Walker says, "is that I had 289 soldiers underneath me and I made sure that everybody came back healthy, had their paperwork done...it's where I developed the passion for caring for soldiers."

During her time as a Human Resources Specialist, Walker saw how many veterans were caught in a passive system that wasn't doing everything possible to help them. This motivated her to start volunteering with organizations designed to assist U.S. military members, and she eventually became the Executive Director of the Warriors for Freedom Foundation. This nonprofit offers programs, resources, and services to restore hope, renew purpose, and revitalize veterans through camaraderie and mental health healing.

When she first took the job, Walker told the foundation, "Family's everything. If you want people to come to these events, you have to include their families." And she was right. From 2021 to 2024, the number of veterans served by this nonprofit jumped from 160 to 2,703. "It was the most incredible evolution of how important family was in these warriors' missions," she says.

Warriors for Freedom also introduced Walker to her newest passion: scuba diving. Recently, she resigned from her position as Executive Director to focus full-time on the organization's diving initiative-introducing others to its therapeutic advantages. She says, "Warrior SCUBA saved my husband and is now giving me an incredible platform to support other veterans in a meaningful way for years to come."

You can learn more about Warriors for Freedom Foundation and their programs on their website: https://www.warriorsforfreedom.org.

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