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NEWS | March 29, 2018

School liaison officer: helper to many

By Airman Michael S. Murphy 11th Wing Public Affairs

As a military spouse, Sunny Babauta Lee understands to well the stressors of relocating with children. As the Joint Base Andrews School Liaison Officer, Lee knows how to help families with school-aged children alleviate that pressure. 


“It takes a lot of planning with not a lot of time,” Lee said. “There are SLOs at every base,” she added. “Usually for the families that are coming in, I’ll get a warm handoff from the SLO at their base. If a family is leaving to PCS to another duty station though, they will come to me and say ‘Hey, I’m about to go to Travis, and I want to know about the school there.’ If you have orders, you can contact me and I can personally do the leg work for you. That is why my position is important.”

Books for PCSing kids
SLIDESHOW | 2 images | School liaison officer: helper of many Sunny Babauta Lee, Joint Base Andrews school liaison officer, holds a book while posing for a photo in her office on JBA, Md., March 22, 2018. Lee gives books to children transitioning to and from JBA as a way to help them with problems they may face while moving. Lee’s main goal as SLO is to provide educational support for families with school-aged children. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Michael S. Murphy)


Her main duties are supporting families educational needs for school-aged children and giving any type of support needed while transitioning from one base to another.

  

Lee can assist families from any military branch in making plans for their child to attend an on-base school or a partnering school.

  

JBA’s partner schools include Dr. Henry A. Wise High School, Stephen Decatur Middle School and Francis T. Evan Elementary School. She can also assist families interested in having their children attend private schools and in making the transition to home schooling.

  

H. Douglas Rice II, principle of Imagine Andrews Public Charter School, said Lee has been diligent in getting families placed in schools.


“She has also partnered with us by attending governing board meetings and was a judge for the science, technology, engineering and math fair,” Rice said. “It has been a culture of collaboration since she has come on board.”

  

Being a SLO has been a great fit for her character, Lee said.

  

“I feel like I never have to come to work, because it doesn’t feel like work to me,” she said. “It just feels like me helping my military brothers and sisters out. I not only get to include my professional experience, but also my personal experience,” she said. “I understand the stressors of being in a military family and trying to do everything.”

  

For any educational questions contact Lee at sunny.j.lee2.civ@mail.mil, or by phone at 240-858-9211.