“If there is anything I am told I cannot do as a female, I’m like ‘okay, watch me.’ Tell me I can’t do it and I’ll show you I can.” Wendy Wells, TriWest Contact Center Supervisor and Army Veteran
Wendy Wells has had many impressive accomplishments and recognitions throughout her proud health care career. As a former U.S. Army Combat Medic who served in action during the Iraq War, Wendy is strongly driven to take on challenge and has a highly service-oriented approach in supporting her community.
Wendy’s many accomplishments while serving and in her later civilian career are a strong example of the ongoing contributions of women Veterans throughout the nation. To celebrate this year’s Women Veterans Day, TriWest Healthcare Alliance (TriWest) is sharing Wendy’s impressive story in proud support of women Veterans whose drive is evident in their communities far beyond their military service.
Wendy’s strong determination and service-focused approach explains how she quickly achieved military rank from E-1 to E-6 in an uncommon six year timespan. Fortunately for her community, that impressive drive carries on after her service and is earning new recognition and respect for her efforts and contributions to impact the lives of others.
As a Contact Center Supervisor at TriWest, she recently added another recognition not only for her dedicated Army service, but also for her ongoing support for Veterans in her hometown community of El Paso, Texas.
In March, Wendy learned she had been nominated and selected as a local finalist for a nationwide “Remarkable Women” contest based on her military service accomplishments and ongoing community support for Veterans.
The contest, sponsored by Nexstar Media Group, Inc., and featured on El Paso’s KTSM-9 TV, is part of the media company’s recognition of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day each March. The contest spotlights “local women that inspire, lead and forge the way for other women,” according to Nexstar.
As a part of her selection, KTSM-9 aired a special news feature, highlighting Wendy’s outstanding military service and Veteran support in El Paso.
Yet this is not the first time the mother of two boys has stood out for her dedication to service and committed leadership to improve the lives of others.
“As a leader, I only know how to lead one way which is to always try to do what’s right,” she said. “I don’t think I do anything special. I’m just doing my job because I feel it’s the right thing to do and people should help people when they are able.”
Her “Remarkable Women” finalist selection may have brought a fresh spotlight to her service and support for Veterans, but Wells has long shown determination to face challenges and make a difference.
During her 12 years of Army service, she accepted challenging assignments and continuously proved her mission-driven approach and determination.
“Most of the time I was deployed or in the field,” Wendy said. “Before I was deployed to Iraq for the Iraqi War, rotations were being staged in Kuwait as protection of force from the first war in Iraq. My unit was in the second wave to go into Iraq after the first wave of Special Forces and other early combat units were sent in.”
“I was assigned to the 4th Combat Engineer Battalion whose first job is to go in early and use demolition to help clear out the enemy and make way for other units,” she added.
For her service in Iraq, she earned her Combat Medic Badge which is her most prized military decoration.
“For the badge you have to be engaged in an active firefight, doing your job as a medic and protecting your patient,” Wendy said. “It can’t be earned through school, but only in combat,” she added.
While serving, Wells also earned her Expert Medical Field Badge, acquired through completion of a highly challenging Army medic training course.
“It is extremely hard to earn and I was the only woman in my class to finish the training,” she said. “The final requirement is to complete a 12-mile road march in under three hours, which I did as the only woman to reach the march-stage of the training.”
“If there is anything I am told I cannot do as a female, I’m like ‘okay, watch me.’ Tell me I can’t do it and I’ll show you I can,” she added.
Now years out of the Army, Wendy has continued to show her determination and leadership in her team-building and Veteran support activities at TriWest. Because TriWest honors volunteer service in the community, she uses those opportunities to build team appreciation and help Veterans and others through a variety of community support activities.
Through TriWest she has helped organize clothing drives for homeless Veterans, food drives, school supply drives, shoe drives, and other Veterans Day Parade activities. All of these community support activities have impacted many, resulting in her surprise nomination for the “Remarkable Women” contest.
“I learned I was nominated by a previous staff member who is still with the company but is no longer on my team,” Wendy said.
“The surprise nomination really caught me off guard, but it makes me proud that I’ve made an impact on a whole lot of people,” she said. “As a Veteran and a TriWest team leader, I still receive requests for guidance from former soldiers who still call me ‘Sergeant Brown’, and former team members who still call me ‘Boss’.”
Through her work at TriWest and her proud Army service, she has retained a deep drive to continue her Veteran and community support activities in El Paso. She believes providing support for Veterans and her community is part of her service-driven nature to have a positive impact on others.
“I just feel you should do the right things for people, in order to help them learn and grow. I wouldn’t ask anyone to do something I wouldn’t do myself.”
In recognition of Women Veterans Day and to learn more about Wendy’s proud service and ongoing support for El Paso area Veterans, view her KTSM-9 “Remarkable Women” feature here.
You can read the video transcript from the “Remarkable Women” feature as well.