Air Force spouse studies rainforest

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Torey Griffith
  • 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  Brandi Hamilton isn't like the women on the TV show "Army Wives."

With a degree in business already under her belt, she will earn an associate's degree from State Fair's biology program this May. Next fall, she will attend the University of Central Missouri, for a bachelor's degree in geology.

"I went to school for business first, when I was younger," said Mrs. Hamilton. "That's where I thought the money was."

The money was good, according to Mrs. Hamilton, but a unique series of events led her to take her career in a new direction.

"I had a successful career for seven years in the business field," she said. "However, it wasn't really what I wanted to do the rest of my life. It wasn't what I had a real drive to do. I've had an interest in science my whole life, and I really wanted to get into it, because that's what I enjoy."

Desire and opportunity met when the Hamiltons moved to Whiteman, where her husband, Staff Sgt. Robert Hamilton, works as NCO in charge of the fuels laboratory.

"The job market here is a little different," said Mrs. Hamilton. "Since I was shifting areas, looking for another job, I thought the time was right to go back to school. It seemed like a really viable option."

With help from the personnel at the Whiteman education center, Mrs. Hamilton enrolled in State Fair's biology program.

"While our main clients are active duty members, we are very eager to help military spouses as well," said Mrs. Darla Rush, Chief of the Force Development Flight. "Spouses are able to register and attend any of the on-base schools, and receive educational counseling."

According to Mrs. Rush, the Education Center and the Airman and Family Readiness Center can help spouses get started and ensure they are able to continue their education.

"We have a certified guidance counselor on staff to answer any educational questions," said Mrs. Rush. "If they are unsure what they'd like to do in life, we have the ability to administer an interest inventory that will tell them which degree programs are likely to suit their likes. If they know what they want to do, but can't find a degree program to match what they want, we will assist them in finding a program."

"We refer spouses to the Airman and Family Readiness Center for scholarship opportunities and the Military spouse Career Advancement Account program, which offers active duty spouses a chance to receive up to $ 6,000 in tuition assistance for specific degree programs," Mrs. Rush said. "We can also provide information on transferring post-9/11 GI Bill benefits from the active duty member to the spouse if that's what the member wants."

Despite the opportunities, spouses often have worries that keep them from studying.

"The most common obstacle to get in the way of a spouse getting their education, is the thought that they can't afford it," Mrs. Rush said. "There are many opportunities for funding a military spouse, they just have to pursue them. The first step is to fill out the Free Application For Student Aide form at www.fafsa.ed.gov . Within a day or two they will find out if they are eligible for any federal grants or loans."

Mrs. Hamilton's studies, partially funded my the post-9/11 Montgomery G I Bill,  have taken her places.

"The head of the biology department at State Fair, Dr. LaRoy Brandt, told me about a tropical ecology course," she said. "I spent a month at a field station in the rainforest in Costa Rica, where I studied various types of ecology, but my main focus was on entomology, the study of insects."

The research facility at La Suerte featured three areas of interest to scientists: Unchanged rainforest, recently cut, and partially regrown rainforest.

"The team and I studied how insect communities adapt to successional changes in low-land rainforest as re-growth occurs," she said. "As the rainforest changes, the animal communities have to adapt to that. We want to understand the effects of clear-cutting a section of rainforest."

The research will provide answers to what is a major source of controversy in the scientific community: the degradation of the rainforest.

"We want to learn about the positive and negative aspects of natural and man-made disturbances, and how the rainforest repairs itself afterward," she said. "The focus of our projects was to get some measurable statistics for that."

Mrs. Hamilton saw potential for information in the insect world.

"Our team found that insects are a big part of the ecosystem, and because there are so many of them," she said. "We could trap a lot more insects, and see more results with them. There are thousands and thousands of different types in the rainforest."

The research team put together a research paper detailing their findings in Costa Rica, and presented the information at the Midwest Ecology and Evolution Conference, which took place at Iowa State University, March 26 through March 28, 2010.

"We will also be speaking at the Missouri Academy of Science in April, sharing our findings with the local academic community," Mrs. Hamilton said.

Mrs. Hamilton, wife, mother, and student, said she is enjoying her education, despite the fact that she is a non-traditional student.

"I think going back to school as an older student has its advantages," she said. "For instance, I know that now I am a much better student, mostly because I now have better prioritizing, and time management skills, due to my experiences as a busy wife and mother."

She also encourages other spouses to pursue their dreams.

"I would encourage all spouses to go to school," she said. "You don't have to worry about how old you are, just pursue your dreams."