Jennifer Walker and Chad Walker

[00:03] JENNIFER WALKER: I'm Jennifer Walker. I am a 55 year old woman. This June 9, 2022, we're in Hilo, Hawaii, at the Lyman museum, and I am being interviewed by my husband, Chad Walker.

[00:19] CHAD WALKER: Hello, doctor Walker. I am Chad Walker. I am 51, white male. It is June 9, 2022, at the Lyman Museum, Hilo, Hawaii, and I am interviewing doctor Jennifer Walker. So, Jennifer, can you tell me, why did you choose the military and army for service to the country?

[00:45] JENNIFER WALKER: Well, even in high school, I knew I wanted to be a family physician, but I didn't really know how to get there. And my dad had served in World War two, but I really didn't know anything about the military as a career, except for maybe watching every single episode of M A s h during high school. But I think every high school student saw that. And my family didn't have any money to send me to college, so I had a high school teacher tell me about this army ROTC scholarship. And I had good grades, and I was physically fit, and I was really competitive. And so I competed for, and I was awarded a four year scholarship to attend college. And at the end of that four years, I owed four years of active duty. And I didn't have to pay that back until after I had already finished my medical school and residency training to be a family physician. And I got offered my first assignment wherever I wanted to go. And so I got to go to a small us army base in Germany, and then I was transferred to the hospital at Heidelberg. And to be honest, I really hadn't intended to serve more than those four years. But the army just kept offering me interesting assignment after interesting assignment. So one assignment just sort of rolled into the next one into the next one into the next. And before I knew it, I had completed a 20 year career as an army physician, and I retired at the rank of colonel in 2016.

[02:13] CHAD WALKER: Wow. Now, I just heard you talk about all these different places that I guess you were stationed or served at. So were any of those standout experiences, or can you tell me about a few of those standout experiences that you might have had during that 20 year career?

[02:30] JENNIFER WALKER: Well, I mentioned being assigned in Germany, but my next assignment right after that was in Washington, DC. And I had grown up in a small town in northwestern Washington state. I'd never had the opportunity to travel to our nation's capital. And here I am, living and working every day with all of these amazing monuments and the Smithsonian Museum. And I've had the opportunity to travel the world and serve in countries and experience cultures from all around the globe. And the thing of it is, my hometown didn't have a lot of ethnic diversity, and I really didn't get exposed to people from other cultures growing up. And from my very first assignment in the army, I had the opportunity to serve with soldiers from diverse backgrounds. And I really learned to appreciate the commonalities that we shared despite our ethnic and cultural differences. And what I appreciated was that we all shared a set of common values, like selfless service and loyalty and integrity and personal courage. And that's not based on the color of your skin or your ethnic background or where you grew up.

[03:39] CHAD WALKER: So I'm sitting here hearing you, and I do know a little bit about your background. Was there ever a time that you had the opportunity to represent the United States in an unusual situation?

[03:54] JENNIFER WALKER: Why, yes, Chad. I got to represent the US army during armed forces week on the game show Jeopardy. In 1999. That's probably my claim to fame. And I have a picture of me with Alex Trebek. And everybody that comes into my office makes a. Yeah. Oh, you were on jeopardy. And they don't ask me about my combat ribbons or any of my other interesting pictures. They just want to hear what that was like to be on tv.

[04:20] CHAD WALKER: And you also mentioned that you served in Washington, DC. Did you ever get a chance to maybe see some of our high profile politicians while you were there?

[04:33] JENNIFER WALKER: So, several years ago, I was asked to interview to be the physician for the White House. And when I got the email, I assumed it was probably sent to the wrong person because surely it wasn't meant to be sent to me. And sure enough, they really did want me to interview to be the White House physician. And I got to go to Washington, DC, and I got to interview, and I got to be there and compete for the position with a couple of really, really talented army physicians. And my friend and army physician colleague was selected for the position, and he stayed in that position for many, many years and continues to serve in the presidential White House. And that was amazing to even be considered for that job. But that gives you an idea of the kind of army physicians that I got to work with.

[05:27] CHAD WALKER: Is there anybody else that you might have met in the army that might have changed your life?

[05:37] JENNIFER WALKER: Well, I was deployed to Mosul, Iraq, and I met this talkative army engineer who was of a similar rank as me. And there weren't that many people of a similar rank to be able to talk to and confide in. Fast forward about a year and a half, and we got married, and that would be Lieutenant Colonel Chad Walker.

[06:06] CHAD WALKER: So you were on jeopardy. You got to interview to be the White House physician, and you met the love of your life all in 20 year career with the army. Were there any other things that you did learn from the military experience?

[06:22] JENNIFER WALKER: Well, growing up, I was a kid that loved to be outside, and I loved getting dirt under my nails on our small family farm. But I never thought I would actually thrive in austere environments. But it turns out I actually did just fine. And it didn't matter whether I was having to live for a time in barracks with dozens and dozens of other people or living in a tent and having to use a porta potty for an entire winter in the mountains of Afghanistan. I actually did just fine in those environments. I know that it's nice to have nice things now, but I know I'll do just fine even if I don't have them.

[07:02] CHAD WALKER: So if you had to sum up, what are you most proud of from your military service? What would you say that would be?

[07:11] JENNIFER WALKER: Well, I really like that I'm able to do well in settings that most family physicians would never envision themselves in. And I like that my military training prepared me for success in places like remote aid stations in the Balkans or on overseas humanitarian missions or in combat hospitals, like where I served in Afghanistan and Iraq. And those are in some places and in some roles that most family physicians would find very uncomfortable. But service as a military physician gave me a sense of confidence that I can serve anywhere in the world. And the best part of it is, is my experience is not unique to me. All of the physicians in the military get these same kinds of opportunities, and they are very, very well prepared. And these are my colleagues that I served with for 20 years.

[08:07] CHAD WALKER: So has the military changed you? Are there actions, sounds, feelings that were different, that you think would be different completely if you would have never went in the military.

[08:20] JENNIFER WALKER: I'll probably get emotional talking about this, but for me, I can't listen to our national anthem without getting emotional. And I sing along to it, and there's a line at the end that says, o say, does that star Spangled Banner yet wave over the land of the free and the home of the brave? And if you think about it, that really is a question, and I can confidently say, yes, it does. And when I hear our national anthem, it makes me think of all the men and women, both past and present, who have volunteered to serve their lives, to give their lives in service to our country, and whether that's at home service or abroad or in combat. And these people have sworn to defend our constitution. You know, it says, against all enemies, foreign and domestic. And I am so thankful to have had the privilege to serve alongside them. And I am especially grateful for those soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice so that I can live and enjoy the rights and freedoms that we have in this country. And I've served in countries where there is no freedom of religion and no freedom of the press, and no freedom of assembly and no freedom of speech. Served in countries where women literally have no face and no voice. And I genuinely hope that no american takes these freedoms for granted.

[09:52] CHAD WALKER: Is there anything else that you would like to add?

[09:57] JENNIFER WALKER: I'm very grateful for having the opportunity to serve my country.

[10:02] CHAD WALKER: Thank you so much. Doctor Jennifer Walker.

[10:05] JENNIFER WALKER: Thanks. Chad