Kathryn Wilgus began her military career in 1987 as part of the United States Army Reserve Delayed Entry Program (DEP); she enlisted as an operating room technician. As a civilian, she was employed as a perioperative nurse within Florida Hospital Health System in Orlando, achieving highest level of Clinical Nurse IV on personal professional development ladder and became operating room manager in Altamonte Springs, Florida. She also worked as a hospice nurse, psychiatric ward at Lake Correctional Institution and as a licensed practical nurse instructor in her civilian occupations. In 2004, Kathryn was commissioned a Lieutenant Junior Grade (LTJG) in the Navy Nurse Corps Reserves. In 2016, she retired with 20 years combined military service. Her key assignments include a one-year deployment to Landstuhl, Germany in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF); deployment on the United States Naval Ship (USNS) Comfort for their Continuing Promise Mission to Antigua, Columbia and Panama; deployments to Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan as a Medical Embedded Training Team (METT) member and Female Engagement Team (FET) member and Kandahar, Afghanistan as an operating room nurse. Kathryn earned a Master’s of Science degree in Nursing Leadership in Healthcare Systems Management and completed her post certificate in Education, nursing focus, from Regis University, Denver, Colorado. She also earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Nursing from Barry University, Miami Shores, Florida.