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Feature: Airman's Hawaiian roots, leadership qualities find soil in Md.

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Steele C. G. Britton
  • Air Force District of Washington Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. --  Being a great leader doesn't require trophy shelves or pockets full of money for most people. Leadership can be as simple as integrating what generations of hardworking family members have passed on and applying it to daily life.

Maj. Elisa Hammer, 779th Aeromedical Squadron Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight chief, carries on the legacy of her grandparents and great-grandparents as a leader and follower of Airmen here in Maryland.

"I don't fear working really hard," said Hammer, native of Hawaii. "It is my job to enforce worker protection against occupational health hazards, such as chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and physical threats at Joint Base Andrews."

Hammer's team works regularly in aircraft maintenance hangars measuring chemical exposures in fuel cells and tests airflow in ventilation systems while validating proper protective clothing and respirators. Outside of the industrial workplace, the bioenvironmental technicians ensure safe drinking water to the base community.

Behind the sweat of the bioenvironmental Airmen is a sense of togetherness that Hammer embraces with her flight members through team training, sports activities and an occasional barbecue to let loose.

"We all come from different parts of this country and we are each other's family," Hammer said. "I like our flight to feel that sense of cohesion and teamwork."

As Hammer makes time for her Air Force family, she also makes time for herself.

While stationed at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, Hammer became interested in the sport of stand-up paddleboarding. Hammer began paddleboarding in Hawaii and continues to paddleboard while stationed at Joint Base Andrews.

"After a long week of work, it's nice to spend the weekend on the water," she said. "It really relaxes me, it refreshes my spirit and it takes me away from the stress. I forget about the desk, I forget about email and I'm out here on the water--just me and my board."

Hammer continues the dream of her great-grandparents who came to the beaches of Hawaii to raise their children in a new land of opportunity. Through hard work, grit and patience, their dream has come true.

"Their dedication has led me to soar by obtaining my engineering degree from the University of Hawaii, giving back to my family and devoting my professionalism and passion to this nation as a U.S. Air Force Airman," Hammer said. "There is never a dull moment in bioenvironmental engineering and it is an honor to serve alongside these bright Airmen."

View the video "Water Sample Example" featuring Hammer's story on YouTube