This July 4th, Gina Studley will enjoy a holiday from work and be thankful to celebrate our country and remember those willing to defend its freedom.

While not a veteran herself, Studley represents one of countless civilians whose life, in large part, has been dedicated to serving the U.S. military.

She’s the daughter of a World War II veteran who served as a B24 radio gunner in the U.S. Army Air Corps before the U.S. Air Force was established. He later raised his family in Westminster, Massachusetts.

As an adult raising her own family in Coventry, Rhode Island, Studley began volunteering with the Air Force Junior ROTC program at the local high school her two sons attended. With both her children involved, the master sergeant asked Studley if she could help the cadets with their uniforms. She had been sewing since she was a young girl, so she had the skills and willingness to make sure everyone had the hems and other adjustments needed to look their best and adhere to military dress guidelines. This volunteer role with the nationally recognized drill and ceremony team continued long after her sons matriculated through the program—and she provided support for 17 years to JROTC cadets and their leaders, while also balancing a full-time career as a paralegal. 

While her oldest son set his sights on becoming a pilot in the Air Force and chose to attend Texas A&M University, her younger son had the idea he’d like to build or work on airplanes. He came to Mississippi State to major in mechanical engineering and, of course, join the land-grant university’s exemplary Air Force ROTC program. At MSU, the younger Studley thrived and also made the decision to become a USAF pilot.

Gina Studley knew she didn’t have the option to move closer to her sons because their military assignments likely would cause them to live in multiple locations over time, but she joked that she would move to one of their college towns so they always would want to visit her.

When her son who graduated from MSU spotted a job opening on campus working with Air Force ROTC, he told her she should think about applying. Her years volunteering with JROTC in Rhode Island paid off through everything she had learned about uniforms and other protocols. She joined the Bulldog family’s AFROTC Detachment 425 in 2017 as inventory control assistant, overseeing members’ uniforms, including their procurement and distribution, among many additional duties.

“This is a complete change in my life to be living in the South. It’s not something I anticipated, but here I am,” she said.

Many faculty and staff members in the university’s military departments—both Air Force and Army ROTC—are active-duty military members who work as university affiliates, and most are assigned to MSU for no more than three years. However, Studley has been building her institutional knowledge to help support these transitions. The ROTC programs are academically tied to MSU’s College of Arts and Sciences, but operationally are under the Division of Student Affairs. Each year, there are about 75-100 AFROTC cadets at MSU.

While outside of the realm of her official responsibilities, Studley doesn’t mind pulling out her needle and thread when needed.

“If I’m responsible for the uniforms—then I’m going to assume responsibility,” she emphasized. “I do my best to make sure they look good.”

When reflecting on what she enjoys most about her work, she has a quick and clear answer—“the cadets.”

“I enjoy helping prepare them for the next step, even if it’s not military guidance, it’s life skill guidance. It’s rewarding to watch them commission as officers and fulfill their goals.”