Laura’s military career started with Joining the Air Force via the Delayed Enlistment Program in December of 2000, joining on her 18th birthday. Laura left for bootcamp at Lackland AFB in June of 2001, days after graduation High School. After graduating Air Force BMT, she

immediately moved to Monterey, CA to the Defense Language Institute where she would spend the next year becoming fluent in Persian-Farsi. 

While there, the tragedy of 9/11 happened and it became apparent that God placed her in the Farsi program for a reason and it became more

important than ever to excel. After a year of being taught to read, speak and listen fluently in Farsi by native Iranian instructors, she graduated from the DLI program and moved to San Angelo, TX to Goodfellow AFB where she learned the cryptologic mission aspects of her job.

After 3 months of training she moved to Ft Gordon, GA for the remainder of her enlistment. Holding a Top Secret/SCI clearance, Laura was immediately brought into the mission of translating enemy movements and targets. Despite being stationed in GA, they were real time, direct support for all troops stationed overseas either in the Persian Gulf, Straight of Hormuz, Afghanistan and surrounding areas. The traffic she monitored allowed valuable insight into ensuring our troops traveling to and from those areas were able to do so without enemy interference. She also gave realtime translations for intercepted communications for military operations that would directly impact our troops on the ground.

Laura served in this manner during OEF, OIF and the Global War on Terrorism. After several years working direct support Laura was chosen to help create new mission training manuals to streamline the process from new linguists leaving the language and cryptologic courses to actively working the mission with their systems, ops focus and Areas of

Responsibilies. 

After helping to create the course, she had the honor of becoming an Instructor of the Intermediate Cryptologic Persian Course until the end of her 6 year enlistment. During her enlistment Laura received several awards and medals:

Joint Service Commendation medal

Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor

Air Force Good Conduct Medal

National Defense Service Medal

Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

Air Force Longevity Service Award

NCO Professional Military Education Graduate Ribbon

Air Force Training Ribbon

Certificate of Appreciation from the Director of the NSA for her contribution during OIF

Laura comes from a family of military men. Her Great Grandfather fought in WWI and survived the Meuse-Argonne offensive (one of the deadliest campaigns in military history) and then her grandfather served in the Navy during the Korea War and then joined the Air Force and served

through the Vietnam War, surviving the Tet Offensive after his military installation was attacked.

After her enlistment she moved back home to Carlisle, PA where she continued her education, with hopes of working in the OR, however in 2012 she met her husband Maj Justin Mayer very randomly and after a very short engagement (1 Month!) and a move to MS they eloped on herbirthday on 12/12/12. They’ve been Mississippians for 13 years now and put down roots in Sumrall. They built their dream house with their 2 sons: Elijah, 9 and Bennett 6. Laura is a 100% disabled veteran who spends her days homeschooling, taking care of their small homestead which includes 16 chickens, bunnies, bees, 3 dogs, a cat and a bearded dragon named Mango. She is either on the baseball field, at baseball lessons, serving at church with the children Sunday mornings and the teens on Sunday night or trying to keep the zoo going at

home. Hobbies include getting to relax on their boat, hanging out with friends and family or going on family trips enjoying God’s creation. When she can’t get away, she can be found on the back porch reading, working on an embroidery project or smoking a cigar while the kids

run around. 

Laura has been a supporter of 5th Squad since her husband, Justin became a board member several years ago, spreading the mission of 5th Squad as a disabled Vet and bringing the kids to volunteer at different events.