Princess Cuthrell Tyson
Princess Cuthrell Tyson
BRANCH : U . S . Air Force
SERVED : 22 years
As a Government Civilian , I dedicated and continue to dedicate my life to the Department of the Air Force . It has been 33 years , and 20 of those years were served on active duty . I am a Veteran .
FIRST JOB POST-MILITARY : Director of the Department of Defense ’ s STARBASE STEM program at Maxwell Air Force Base
MOST USEFUL MILITARY SKILL : Discipline
MOST HELPFUL RESOURCES FOR TRANSITION : The local Chamber of Commerce is a major one . When I transitioned , I learned so much about my local community from this organization .
Princess Cuthrell Tyson , a proud U . S . Air Force veteran who dedicated 22 years of her life to serving her country in various capacities . Married to Robert Tyson , she is the mother of three young adults , Vincent , Ahriana and Devin . Tyson joined the Air Force in September 1991 , initially without a clear plan after high school . However , her military career became uniquely diverse , starting with 11 years as an enlisted Supply Specialist and later as a Paralegal . After being accepted into an Officer Training program , she earned her commission as a Second Lieutenant from East Carolina University . Her officer career included roles as an Intelligence Officer for the F-22 Raptor , a Program Manager , and a Senior Academic Leadership Instructor at the Air Force ’ s prestigious Squadron Officer School .
TRANSITIONING FROM MILITARY TO CIVILIAN LIFE
I joined the military when I was 17 years old . At the time of retirement , I had never held a real job prior to joining the military . So the military was all I knew . The biggest challenge I faced during my transition was discovering ( not even rediscovering ) who Princess was outside of the uniform .
How did your military experience prepare you for life out of uniform ?
My military experience prepared me to boldly face and embrace new opportunities with confidence . After moving about 10 times in twenty years to different states , I became an expert at adjusting to new environments .
CAREER PATH AFTER THE MILITARY
What motivated you to pursue your current career path after leaving the military ?
I obtained my Ministry certificate and now have the ability to minister to others . The second path remains within the Air Force as I now serve as a NH-04 , Branch Chief and Senior Acquisition & Information Technology Program Manager at Gunter Annex .
Have you encountered any stereotypes or stigmas related to veterans in the workplace ?
In the civilian sector , the biggest sterotype I ’ ve encountered is individuals assuming that I was NOT the veteran . I find myself constantly stating , “ I am the veteran .”
ADVICE FOR OTHER VETERANS
If you were to transition from the military to civilian life again , what would you do differently ?
I would work harder to learn who I am outside of the uniform . When the uniform comes off , who am I ? That ’ s one question I could not answer and it took a lot of tears , bouts of depression and anxiety and upward battles to discover the answer .
How important is networking and mentorship for veterans ?
It is HUGE . We don ’ t know what we don ’ t know when we separate or retire . Having a community of individuals who have gone before , paved paths , figured out the answers and are willing to lend a helping hand and heart could literally be life altering and life saving .
How do you balance the need for structure and discipline from military life with the flexibility often required in business ?
Aligning with organizations / business that values that need for structure and discipline . Some businesses don ’ t value this , and those organizations aren ’ t for me .
38 CentrAL Inc !