Growing up across the street from the 106th Rescue Wing, Lisha Jones Terry said it was only natural that she’d one day wind up dedicating her life to the military.
Born in 1976, Ms. Terry attended Westhampton Beach High School, where she was captain of the track and cheerleading teams, metaling in state competitions and thriving in the arts and sciences. It was around the time of her high school graduation in 1995 that she was visited by a Coast Guard recruiter. She quickly made the decision to enlist, although she gave herself a little time for traveling and skiing with her grandfather first.
On October 8, 1996, Ms. Terry officially joined the United States Coast Guard Department of Transportation. Upon graduating from training at Cape May in November 1996, she was sent to St. Petersburg, Florida, where she worked circles around maintenance and was soon transferred to a faster-paced boat station. She advanced to the rank of seaman first class in 1998 and soon after became a boarding team member at the Coast Guard’s small boat station in St. Petersburg after completing training in California. She loved her new post where she performed law enforcement and search and rescue duties in the high-passed tempo of year-round boating. She also participated in trainings, such as man overboard drills and marine firefighting, just to name a few.
That same year, Ms. Terry received a letter of commendation from the Coast Guard for responding to an aircraft accident in which a single-engine plane with a pilot and passenger crashed short of a runway. With prior lifeguard experience, Ms. Terry was given the OK to swim out in rough waters to the plane. She successfully rescued the two victims.
In 1998, she was presented with the opportunity to fill a crew member opening back at home at the Shinnecock Station. She jumped at the chance to go back home. Aside from her other duties at Shinnecock, she often took over food service duties, cooking every meal to the approval of the entire station. Cooking for all is a theme she has carried throughout her military career. Also, while at Shinnecock, she volunteered for the Westhampton Beach Ambulance Company.
In September 1999, after a long waiting list, Ms. Terry left the Shinnecock station to enter the Health Dental Technical School where she became a dental technician. She was stationed at the Petaluma Medical Clinic Training Center, where she remained until shortly after 9/11.
Ms. Terry’s active duty with the Coast Guard came to an end in 2002. Not wanting to leave the service, she headed back home and joined the Coast Guard reserves at Shinnecock. However, she missed working among medical professionals and serving patients, so she sought and found an opening at the 106th Air National Guard Medical Clinic as a dental assistant.
“I still preferred boats over planes, but the planes started growing on me,” she said.
During her time in the Air National Guard, Ms. Terry completed Airman Leadership School, trained and served in the 106th Honor Guard, was promoted to non-commissioned officer staff sergeant and then to technical sergeant, and took part in numerous trainings, including medical training in Spangdahlem, Germany. She was also part of the base’s enlistment council.
When nearing her 19th year and becoming eligible for military retirement, she decided to make a change from medical to security forces for a better chance at deployment and other opportunities.
Often asked why anybody would change from medical to security forces she always replies: “I did not want to retire before serving my country oversees.”
Ms. Terry trained and, on July 3, 2015, got her wish — she was deployed with other members to the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, Ali Al Salem, Kuwait.
Before landing on the “rock,” Ms. Terry trained in Ramstein, Germany for a month. While deployed, she conducted hundreds of battle drills and served as an area supervisor. For her service, she earned the Global War on Terrorism Medal in 2016.
Also, while serving oversees, she had the opportunity to share her love of jujitsu and teach a few classes and of course, she cooked for many people in the chapel kitchen in the little spare time she had off.
Following her deployment, Ms. Terry earned her Associates Degree in criminal justice through the United States Air Force.
Ms. Terry is still with the 106th and continues to train. She recently attended 7-Level School at the Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. She is scheduled to be promoted to master sergeant in the near future and hopes to serve the unit as a first sergeant.
As a civilian, Ms. Terry volunteers with the VFW Post 5350 and serves on its golf committee. She is a member of the Westhampton American Legion Post 834, volunteers on the Westhampton St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee and for the nonprofit HUGS (Human Understanding and Growth Services) among so many others.
“I’m always interested in helping in the community,” she said. “I love to share my time and talents wherever I can.”
In addition to her volunteerism, she is a licensed massage therapist with an urban farming business. She is a beekeeper, a mermaid and an environmentalist. She is the mother of two children — Reed, 12 and Race, 10.
In gratitude of her service and sacrifice, the Westhampton Free Library paid tribute to Terry at a ceremony on August 17 as part of its Hometown Heroes initiative. The Library’s Hometown Heroes initiative aims to honor local veterans from the Arthur Ellis Hamm American Legion Post 834 on a monthly basis, with a culminating ceremony scheduled for January 2020.
“It is so important to honor our local veterans,” said Westhampton Free Library Director Danielle Waskiewicz. “They made many sacrifices and deserve to be thanked.”
During the ceremony, held at the Westhampton Beach Fire Department and attended by fellow Legionnaires, library representatives, family members and public officials, Terry was presented with proclamations and an American flag.
Photos courtesy of the Westhampton Free Library