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Continuing the Legacy

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Bryan Hoover
  • 171st Air Refueling Wing

PITTSBURGH, PA -- Continuing her family’s legacy of military service, Tech. Sgt. Aleia Hoffman is a Services craftsman assigned to the 171st Force Support Squadron, the same squadron from which her mom retired.

Utilizing the resources available to her, Hoffman earned a bonus just for enlisting in the career field. While she progressed through her military career, she made use of the education assistance program, earning a Bachelors of Science in Nursing for free from University of California, Pennsylvania (Now PennWest University-California).

She guided her (then) boyfriend towards the 258th Air Traffic Control Squadron in Johnstown. He had found it difficult to become certified as an air traffic controller and potentially may not have been able to achieve some of his dreams without Hoffman’s influence.

Now married, the two live in Atlanta where they have found great success as a registered nurse and an air traffic controller. To this day, they continue to commute to the Pittsburgh area to visit with family and continue their service in the Pennsylvania Air National Guard.

Hoffman, having fulfilled her minimum military obligation, continues to serve. She hopes that she can one day follow in her father’s footsteps by commissioning and piloting one of our KC-135’s as an officer, the same way he did, prior to his retirement.