For any young woman considering a job or career in the military.With information, tips, and perspective gathered from a variety of women who serve, this introductory guide will help you:Discern if military service is the right choice for youEvaluate enlisting or commissioning as an officerSelect a service branch and career fieldPrepare for training, mentally and physicallyIntegrate personal life, relationships, and motherhood with military serviceManage stress and increasing mental toughnessNavigate unique challenges as a woman in the militaryThrive in your military career!Applicable for enlisted and officer careers in any US Armed Forces service branch and type of service commitment, commitment, including:Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, Navy, Space ForceActive duty, National Guard, Reserves“… a solid, factual, and practical guide to help young women make a major life decision with confidence … Strongly recommended.”—Mari K Eder, Major General, US Army (Ret)Get your copy: https://elvaresa.com/book/a-girls-guide-to-military-service/

Women of the Military podcast started out of an idea that Women want to tell their military story. And while there are podcasts that focus on military stories I felt there was a missing piece as men don't know what it is like to be a woman in the military and were missing part of the story.Amanda created Women of the Military Podcast to shine a light on the contribution women make for the military while also focusing on the hard realities that women can face in a male-dominated career. The good, the bad, the in-between. With over 200 episodes and over 100K downloads Amanda works to share the stories of women who have served while inspiring the next generation of women to serve.

Amanda is a regular contributor to Spouselink through AAFMAA and Clearance Jobs. She has also been featured in various military publications such as Military.com, Military Families Magazine, The War Horse, We Are The Mighty and more. She shares her unique life experience as both a female service member and military spouse. She is always looking to connect and share her story through writing.

I traded my combat boots for a diaper bag. I changed from being called Airman to Mom. Here are my stories of the past and present and other stuff in-between.While being in the Air Force I was deployed to Afghanistan on a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) where we helped with the nation building of Afghanistan. Since my degree is in Civil Engineering I had a lot to do with the missions off base and begun writing letters home to tell people about my experience. This was a fun way for me to keep people informed while deployed. Revisiting those stories and sharing them here helps me to remember my past life. And I hope to inform people of the work we are doing overseas. Women have long been on the front lines interacting directly with the people.I share my unique view of being a military spouse who is also a veteran. Serving in the Air Force for over six years and being married to someone currently serving has had a huge impact on my life. I hope the journey that I share helps inspires others in whatever they plan to accomplish.

- Host and produce weekly podcast live episodes for Breaking into Tech highlighting both graduates and employees of Sabio School of Software and Engineering- Manage back end podcast production (scheduling, creation, show notes, editing, distribution)

- Assists with managing a team the writers and is responsible for curating fresh, relevant, and informative content.- Helps the team craft and refine ideas, cultivate sources, report, and write articles on a monthly basis- Oversees social media, graphics, and a web production, specifically copywriting text- Collaborates closely with the bloggers/ journalists and be the managing editor for all content/interviews.- Brainstorms new stories, series, concepts, themes, and formats as needed.- Other copyrighting as needed

Working to help spread the word about the work that Air Force Aid Society does and has done over the past 80 years to help Airmen and Guardians.

Reviews, validates, and develops processes to prioritize and defend Head Quarters Air Force Materiel Command (HQ AFMC) facility requirements at 9 installations. Command focal point for critical facility and infrastructure requirement evaluations and validations at Hill AFB Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR) and Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) by providing strategic planning guidance to advocate future funding to decrease backlog of infrastructure requirements. Oversees HQ AFMC’s Energy Conservation Investment Program (ECIP) and Sustainment, Restoration and Modernization (SRM)/energy program identification, development, prioritization, and execution. • Garnered leadership approval of $504M. Military Construction Program. Validated project requirements and priorities for presidential approval and congressional funding. • Responsible for oversight of for Sustainment, Repair, and Maintenance (SRM) programs at Hill AFB UT, UTTR and AMARG. Ensured projects were properly programmed and validated.

Reviews, validates, and develops processes to prioritize and defend Air Force Materiel Command (HQ AFMC) facility energy reduction at 9 installations. Leads Command-level Energy Assurance exercise program; manages strategic guidance and reach back support and compliance actions for 9 bases. Oversees the development and execution of $39.1M, spanning 53 energy conservation projects integral in complying with EPAct 05 and EISA 07 mandates.• Integral in laying the groundwork for the execution of AFMC’s first Energy Assurance Exercise - two years ahead of National Defense Authorization Act requirements. The exercise focused on the security and energy assurance impacts associated with an electrical utility outage spanning 30 days or more. Additionally, developed planning and execution guidance to aid other bases in conducting their own exercises and to fortify their operational infrastructure. • Directed first Department of Energy evaluation of the Air Force Research Lab’s laboratories; integrated 60 operations and developed Energy Conservation Opportunities at no cost to the government with an potential savings of $110K per year.• - Key to aligning AFMC’s requirements for a $102M Energy Savings Performance Contract. The contract will avoid $7M a year in utility costs. Helped AFMC support the Commander in Chief's $2B investment memorandum

Deputy of shop of seven personnel including U.S. military, U.S. Army Corp of Engineer (ACOE) civilians, and Afghan national civilians for Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). Civil Engineer, Contracting Officer Representative (COR) and Project Manager (PM) for $55M. program. Managed contracts and payments of all projects under $500K. • Conducted combined missions with French and Afghan forces to assess various infrastructure projects throughout the province. Commanded more than 120 hours of outside-the-wire missions.• Managed $46M. in active projects performed by Afghan national contractors, including 170 kms of pavement and bridge projects. Ensured timelines were met and projects were properly completed. • Executed $2.5M bed down project for coalition forces working with Afghan locals and U.S. contractors. Project provided housing for 110 personnel and was completed three months ahead of schedule. • Developed new projects worth $12M. Was responsible for contracting out a $300K. Afghan school project and a $200K government office facility for Afghan officials. Managed payments of all contracts.Received: Bronze Star, Air Force Combat Action Medal

Led four US military employees in support of 97 construction projects worth $44.6M at Holloman AFB. Responsible for construction management of project contracts; ensures quality and adherence to schedules. Ensured project documentation was accomplished in compliance with operational and user requirements. Conducted pre-final, acceptance, and post acceptance inspections; supports Prime BEEF contingency operations. • Supervised the $10.8M project composed of 1.49M square feet of runway repair to help with the transition from the F-117 to F-22. Attention-to-detail during construction management ensured result reduced foreign object of debris hazard• Completed over 50 hours of Federal Energy Management Agency training for emergency response. Expert Emergency Operations Center representative for 5 exercise operations. • Deployed as Northern Command Civil Engineer liaison for two weeks during the 2008 hurricane support for Hurricane Ike; earned Joint Forces Air Component Commander’s Letter of Appreciation.

Responsible for Hazardous Materials management, tracking, and spill response for 59K acre base. Lead a 20-person cross-functional spill response team and manages immediate response Hazardous Material equipment set. Conducts hazardous waste field evaluations and implements corrective actions to prevent environmental incidents and oversaw Facility Response Team preparedness for fuel spills.• Holloman Air and Space Expo Squadron lead; coordinated Civil Engineer support and provided services for over 85K spectators. In addition, led spill response by building response capability and addressing spills early. • Led a 27 person team to contingency training mission; upgraded Command and Control and Unit Control Center operational knowledge. • Deployed as Northern Command Civil Engineer liaison for two weeks during the 2008 hurricane support for Hurricane Ike; earned Joint Forces Air Component Commander’s Letter of Appreciation.