Derek Dickerson, a teacher at Washington Middle School, listens to his mother, Gina Dickerson, speak during her retirement ceremony.
241212-A-OH563-3534.JPG Photo By: Lt. Col. Bradford Leighton

Springfield, Ill. - Derek Dickerson, a teacher at Washington Middle School, listens to his mother, Gina Dickerson, speak during her retirement ceremony. Gina Dickerson of Springfield retired on Dec. 12 after supporting the Illinois National Guard's Soldiers and Airmen for more than 37 Years. From 1987 to 2000 she worked in the Military Personnel Office performing a variety of duties. Among them was taking phone calls from family members of Soldiers who were deployed to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Gina would do her best to answer their questions, but even more so, she would serve as a trusted friend to these family members as they went through this difficult time. Gina has a special place in her heart for those deployed in harm's way and their families. Her older brother, Michael Calandrino, was killed in action in 1969 during the Vietnam War. Gina began working in the United States Property and Fiscal Office in 2000 where she continued her work supporting Soldiers and Airmen. She started in USPFO as a travel voucher examiner. In 2006, she was promoted to Financial Services Supervisor where she oversaw a complex financial operation that included travel vouchers, vendor payments, military pay, and technician pay. In addition, she was a key member of the Soldier Readiness Process (SRP) team that would ensure that Soldiers' financial records were reviewed and validated prior to mobilizing in support of operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and many other locations around the world. Over the last 13 years, Gina has worked as the Lead Voucher Examiner for the Defense Travel System along with managing the Government Travel Card program.


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