LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
Anna Maria Martinez, budget analyst for Lackland's 342nd Training Squadron, has worked in Air Force civil service for more than 41 years, all at bases on San Antonio's Southwest Side.
"My jobs have always been very challenging, so it hasn't been boring," Mrs. Martinez said of her lengthy career, starting at Kelly AFB in March 1966 and moving to Lackland in August 1999 when Kelly closed.
A graduate of Fox Tech High School in San Antonio at age 16 in 1964, she progressed from a GS-3 secretary to a GS-12 maintenance management specialist responsible for repair budgets and out-year projections within the San Antonio Air Logistics Center at Kelly. In between, she was promoted in 1978 to clerical assistant in the ALC command section headed by Maj. Gen. Lynwood Clark.
As a result of Kelly's closure, Mrs. Martinez accepted the position of budget analyst in the 342nd TRS in August 1999.
"Working in a very dynamic squadron continues to be a great challenge," Mrs. Martinez said.
"When I came to the squadron, we had a budget of about a million dollars. Not only has our budget increased tremendously, to more than $10 million last fiscal year, but we also are managing finances for several detachments and operating locations," she said, including Det. 1 at Kirtland AFB, N.M.; Det. 2 at Panama City, Fla.; Det. 3 at Hurlburt Field, Fla.; and locations at Pope AFB, N.C., Fort Benning, Ga., and Yuma, Ariz.Training within the squadron includes areas of pararescue; combat control; survival, resistance, evasion and escape; and explosive ordnance disposal. The squadron also was instrumental in creating the award-winning Basic Combat Convoy Course for Airmen deploying to Iraq.
"Sometimes I get to go out there in the field (at Lackland Training Annex) when the pararescue Airmen do their jumps," she said. "They wanted me to do a tandem jump with them. Why would I want to jump out of a perfectly good plane?" she asked, laughing. "No, thank you. Appreciate it (the offer)."
Mrs. Martinez noted proudly that the 342nd TRS has been honored as the 2nd Air Force Training Squadron of the Year twice - in 2005 and 2007. "It is a great honor to be part of the team," she said.
Mrs. Martinez's husband of 39 years, Joe, is an architect supervisor at Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans' Hospital. They have two children: Aric, 28, an administrative assistant in Lackland's 37th Mission Support Squadron command section; and Lianna, who does geriatrics research at San Antonio's University of Texas Health Science Center.
"I have been very fortunate to have had so many wonderful supervisors that cared enough to mentor me during my civil service career," Mrs. Martinez said. "I believe the key to a person's success is having the right type of supervisors that care enough to motivate, guide, encourage and mentor their employees."
Mrs. Martinez said she will continue working as long as she feels motivated and is healthy. She expects to receive her bachelor's degree in December from Texas State University. "I may go into the teaching arena within our training squadron or upon retirement teach at a community college."