Two jobs, one community

A proud Texan in the Washington National

By J.M. Simpson on April 24, 2021

Maj. Ashley Coffey, a senior human resource officer with the 56th Theater Information Operations Group, Washington Army National Guard, intelligently and seamlessly blends her military responsibilities with her civilian job as a program manager with Amazon's Global Military Affairs team.

"I'm lucky enough to be able to serve the military community in my civilian career and as a member of the WA National Guard,"  wrote the self-described proud Texan in an email.

The goal of the Amazon Global Military Affairs team is to recruit, develop, retain and improve the lives of transitioning veterans and military spouses in support of Amazon's commitment to be Earth's most military-friendly company.

"As such, I see a lot of opportunity for partnership and engagement between the Guard and Reserve community and Amazon," she said.

By serving and working as she does, Coffey is proudly continuing a long-standing family tradition.

"My great grandfather served in the Army National Guard and fought in World War II; and my grandfather served in the Navy," she continued. "I grew up as a military brat as my father served within the Air Force Special Operations Command community. It was a natural choice for me to join the military, and I've been proud to continue the family tradition."

Coffey began her time in service in the military by earning her commission in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

"I chose the Guard because I value the concept of community and love that I can directly serve the community where I live," she explained. "I also wanted some autonomy when it came to my job selection, where I was able to live, and the concurrent pursuance of a civilian career."

As a senior human resource officer working in an Army/Air Force joint service environment, she is responsible for providing personnel support that directly affects the overall welfare and well-being of Guard personnel.

Coffey said that she can be viewed as someone who is tenacious in evaluating a situation and then finding the right solution.

"I'm the kind of person who doesn't give up easily as I am very goal oriented," she commented.

In meeting the Guard's mission requirements, Coffey assists commanders by accounting for and ensuring that personnel are available for immediate response to meet either state or national needs.

"Between wildfire responses, supporting food banks and other COVID-19 related efforts that have kept us very busy, it was a rewarding and historic year for us," Coffey said.

She is quick to credit her ability to serve to both the military and Amazon.

"While my primary military education has been valuable in both of my careers, I feel that my business and program management acumen gained at Amazon gives me an edge."

"Amazon is fast-paced and a lot of the leadership principles there echo Army values."

One of those values is the willingness to serve and give back to the community.

"In whatever capacity available to you, you can improve lives and the world around you and provide enrichment to your own life," she concluded.

"And after 2020, we need all the community we can get."