9/11 attacks inspired Lisa Marie Sierra to join US Army
Veteran Lisa Marie Sierra
By LORI ANN EDMO
Sho-Ban News
FORT HALL — Lisa Marie Sierra served in the U.S. Army for six years from 2007 to 2013 as a 31B military police officer.
Her grandparents Carlos and Zeta Chavez raised her so when 9/11 happened she was in middle school and that’s when she told her grandma she was going to join.
Sierra graduated as Military Police on July 13, 2007 at the U.S. Army Military Police School at Fort Leonard’s Wood, Missouri.
Sierra also graduated as Airborne Military Police at the U.S. Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia on February 1, 2008. She served in Afghanistan.
She said she honestly doesn’t think the Army helped her, “What helped was my upbringing, they (her grandparents) taught me at a young age to always do what’s right, work hard, be strong and to never forget where you came from i.e. family (ancestors).
Lisa Marie Sierra
Sierra said she’s kind of a low key veteran. “I don’t participate in many veteran activities. I guess I don’t like being celebrated for doing my duty. I became a veteran at a young age, the only honoring I do is honor those that paid the ultimate sacrifice and died for our country.”
She said she definitely had many close calls in Afghanistan but even in the closed calls she wasn’t scared. “I always felt super protected by my ancestors and just prayers in general.” “Afghanistan was actually a nice country – it reminded me of the rez so I didn’t feel too out of place,” she continued. “They hold their elders to a high degree, something I fell we’re losing around here. They were basically a lot of dirt poor people stuck in the middle. It was fun.”
Sierra has one son Leonidas who is six-years-old. She works at the Shoshone-Bannock Casino hotel as a floorworker. Her only hobbies are spending as much family time as possible since she was away so long, along with just enjoying her son’s younger stages.
