Emily Jazmin Tatum Perez

West Point, 2005

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by West Point Women Organization on September 20, 2006:

Blessed are the PeaceMakers, for they shall be called the children of God. Matthew 5:9. This is an article the West Point Women Organization authored in honor of Emily for the West Point Women 30 Year event that was recently held in April of this year at the United States Military Academy. She exemplifies the contributions that all women make to our Armed Services and in particular, to The United States Army. A Job Well Done, Be Thou at Peace Emily. When Emily Perez made the decision to branch medical service she knew she was following the right path. From an early age she knew she wanted to be involved in the health administrative field and taking on the challenges of West Point just felt right. Every graduate knows West Point is more than challenging and to add to the everyday challenges Emily was a member of the track team. Being an athlete gave her additional training that she was able to use when she took over her platoon. Besides being able to out run many of her Soldiers (which they found impressive), Emily already had first hand experience of being a member of a team and mentoring those younger and older than her. So when Emily stepped in front of her new platoon as a young lieutenant she knew she was getting ready for another challenge. She took over a treatment platoon that was soon to deploy to Iraq and had been without a platoon leader for over a year. In normal fashion, Emily took control and focused on becoming the leader she knew she could be. When they arrived in Iraq her platoon was tasked with running the battalion aid station. One of her first experiences in theater called upon all her strength and focus. Reacting to a convoy that had been hit and 5 Soldiers killed in action, Emily originally began with handling crowd control until she realized the mortuary affairs team needed help and without hesitation stepped up. A challenging and somber experience, Emily helped assure the Soldiers bodies were able to make the flight home to the families. This memorable experience stays with her and serves as daily motivation to work harder and be vigilant with in her daily tasks. This vigilance helps empower Emily with her additional job of being a convoy commander. Weekly she leads convoys out of her FOB, though not typically a medical service officers job, Emily readily accepts it knowing it makes her more rounded and competent. She carefully plans out the routes and ensures she always puts the Soldiers safety first and foremost. But, as she commented, nothing can ever prepare you for the first time you leave the gates. Emily Perez is yet another example of a woman graduate leading the way and following her life dreams wherever it may take her and excelling with each step!

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