JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
Capt. Angelina Urbina is a U.S. Air Force Thunderbird personnelist, but before her current assignment, she worked at Joint Base Andrews.
Urbina held several positions at JBA, her first base, including Deputy Chief Senior Leader Manager for Air Force District of Washington, 11th Force Support Squadron flight commander and 11th Wing executive officer.
"Flight Command was my favorite because my job yielded a tangible impact on the Airmen," Urbina, a Montana native, said. "Implementing 24/7 hour duty at the fitness center immediately boosted Airmen's quality of life; it was cool to see that."
Although working with the Thunderbirds was a high-flying assignment, Urbrina misses the base atmosphere.
"I miss the people, JBA has a phenomenal team," Urbina said. "I like being close to the action strategically, and the energy around the capital was fantastic."
Urbina says she thrived on that energy.
"I enjoyed the dynamic coordination across the National Capital Region: Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, The Pentagon. Being exposed to that caliber of senior leadership shaped me as a company grade officer," she said.
Urbina previously worked as a teacher.
"I wanted to be pushed as a person," Urbina said. "I was impressed by Airmen and how intelligent and professional they were and I wanted to surround myself with people like that."
Today, she is working with the Thunderbirds, featured at the 2015 Andrews Air Show, who fly at 39 locations and perform over 70 shows per year.
"They're all a blast, but the Cheyenne, Wyoming show sticks out," Urbina said. "That show has a strong tradition, it's neat to see the community come together to support the show."
Whether it's California, Florida or Cheyenne, Urbina says she won't forget her roots.
"I'm so thankful for JBA being my first assignment," Urbina said. "It laid a strong foundation and I met some amazing mentors and life-long friends."