May 20, 2013

Elizabeth Meyers ‘14 is a student in Drexel’s Physician Assistant program and a fifth generation member of the Air Force. “I have always had a love for the military and grew up in a ‘blue’ Air Force family. I have always wanted to serve my country,” she said.

Meyers decided to join the military in 2006 on her 20th birthday after two years of undergraduate education at Penn State University and West Chester University. When asked why it is important to her to serve her country, Meyers said, “My family risked their lives protecting our freedom and I wanted to pay it forward and do the same.” She enlisted in the Delaware Air National Guard as a ground medic and, after a few years in this role, Meyers joined the 142 Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron as a flight medic. It is with this squadron that she deployed overseas and truly grew as a medical professional.

To date, Meyers has had three deployments, two of which were in combat zones. “I look forward to the day when I can go back overseas to take care of my patients,” she said. Meyers’ mantra is, ‘If you think you have it bad, just know there is always someone else who is hurting worse than you are.’ “At times when I use that phrase, I think about the men and women who I took care of,” she said.

After graduation, Meyers plans on commissioning as a Physician Assistant with the 166 AW Delaware Air National Guard Medical Group and working as a civilian Physician Assistant in either Orthopedics or Emergency Medicine.

“Memorial Day is important for me because I use it as a reflection day to remember all of the patients I have taken care of, [including] those who are fully recovered, those who are permanently disabled, and those who I transported back overseas in coffins. We must never forget,” she said.

Meyers concluded by saying that we too often take things for granted. For her, “joining the military is a great reminder to count your blessings and appreciate what our Forefathers have done for us. It is an honor to take part in the Force and I encourage anyone who has the desire to join to do so. It has changed my life in so many ways that I could not have gotten from anywhere else,” Meyers said.