TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Over a year ago this unsung hero was working as an OB-GYN in Bay County, and now she oversees all deploying and post-deployment assessments as a member of Team Tyndall.
Chelsea Williams took the opportunity to become the deployment assessment nurse for Public Health at the 325th Aerospace Medicine Squadron over a year ago and has loved every minute of it.
“She's critical to what is arguably our most important program,” said Maj. Robert Gudgel, 325th AMDS Public Health flight commander. “She's vital to not just the Public Health flight, but the 325th Fighter Wing's mission of projecting combat air power and agile combat support. Her hard work and infectious laughter makes this clinic a better place to work at.”
One of the main reasons she loves her job is the satisfying feeling she gets when Airmen get to see their loved ones after a long deployment.
“This is something different,” said Williams. “Most people don’t get to learn about deployments and their processes. I get to see how much work goes into making them happen. To see Airmen come back and watch how excited and happy they are returning really gets to me.”
Williams is a native to Panama City and at a young age, she started living with her aunt and dreamt of working in a medical career field. She attended Bay High School and graduated in 2006. She then attended the Tom. P. Haney Technical Center where she got one step closer to doing what she loved by earning her license as a practical nurse.
She is married with two kids, a five-year-old girl and a two-year-old boy and loves spending time with them.
“I like having cookouts with my family and friends during the weekend for quality time,” she said. “To maintain a healthy balance between family and work, I have to leave my work at work.”
Williams, grew up loving sports and reading books. She loves reading so much that she has read more than 2,000 book and the number keeps climbing.
“I can read about a book a day,” said Williams. ”I go through so many of them that it is hard to keep up with which ones I have read sometimes.”
Her love for reading will help her on her next goal, which is to become a Registered Nurse. Though she hasn’t traveled a lot, another goal of hers is to travel to Germany.
Her father used to live there, and he is a big part of her and her children’s life.
One of the hardest things she has had to endure was the recent passing of her mother. “It was so unexpected,” said Williams.
“It was difficult because I blamed myself for it,” she said while holding back tears. “We had a very strained relationship. You are never really the same after you lose someone you love.”
But recently it’s been a little more challenging for her. Not even a month after her mothers passing, her father was diagnosed with metastatic cancer.
“I worry about him a lot,” said Williams of her father. “He’s had so many obstacles to overcome. I’m having to watch my dad lose weight and get sick. I always worry about him. I can’t imagine being without my father.”
It is hard for her to see her father go through all this pain and has advice for anyone on their health.
“You really need to stay on top of your checkups,” said Williams. “If you’re having symptoms that are not normal, you need to make sure you go and have it looked at. Your health is one of the most important things to you and your family, so don’t ignore it.”