Ashley Sheffer, United States Marine Corps

Ashley Sheffer didn’t come from a military family. She joined the U.S. Marine Corps primarily because of the challenges it offered as well as the philanthropic aspect of it. “I joined because of the history of the heroes from over the years and the challenge of training. Humanitarian work was [also] a goal of mine,” said Sheffer.

Although she had to leave the armed forces due to an injury, she says she appreciates the perspective she gained from her service. “My military experience helped me with things like uniform pride, timeliness, respecting authority and realizing that I am at the bottom and have a lot to learn from my peers.”

Sheffer adds that her military background equipped her with skills, such as a heightened sense of cognizance of her environment, especially in emergency or potentially harmful situations. She’s also adept at operating an ambulance, which is extremely important in high traffic and dangerous weather conditions. “Because I was a motor transportation operator [in the military] or 'motor-T,' I am a little bit more comfortable operating the ambulances.”

Today, Sheffer serves as an EMT-B with AMR West Michigan — a role she’s had since January 2022. “I wanted to work for GMR/AMR because I wanted to be a part of FEMA deployments. I have some time before I can do them, but I'm really looking forward to it,” she said.

Rank Achieved
Corporal (E-4)

Most Interesting Experience While Serving
There was a fire at Camp Pendleton, and I was on the evacuation team, responsible for helping to evacuate the base.

Role with AMR
As an EMT-B, I am responsible for responding to emergency calls to provide efficient, immediate patient care to the critically ill and injured, and to transport the patient to a medical facility.