Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
6:43 | The president spoke. Thousands of reservists were activated for the first Gulf War. Tyrelle Felder had to start wearing her uniform to work at the hospital in Wiesbaden and she had to get her newborn daughter home to her parents.
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Her father was a twenty year Army veteran and Tyrelle Felder thought that the service looked like a good life. She didn't want the Army, though. It was the Air Force for her. Her father was less than enthusiastic, at first.
After technical school in blazing hot Texas, Tyrell Felder headed to her first job as a medical technician at Langley Air Force Base. Her father was career Army, and he told her not to expect to see many minorities in positions of power in the military. She was happy to discover that was no longer the case.
Tyrelle Felder recalls her time at the 1st Fighter Wing hospital at Langley in Virginia. During the second Gulf War, over half the staff was deployed and those who were left had to scramble to keep the hospital functioning.
After a long career in Air Force hospitals, Tyrelle Felder decided to retire. Having received excellent advice from another master sergeant, she had a good plan and soon found another calling, helping homeless women veterans.
Tyrelle Felder was posted to the Air Force hospital in Wiesbaden when the first Gulf War hit. Her comfortable routine was shaken up when the staff was told to expect 300 incoming patients per day.
