Chief Warrant Officer 5 Tracy Garder received the Legion of Merit on Aug. 18. Garder began her career in the Women’s Army Corps one year before it was integrated in the Army, and is the last Women’s Army Corps Soldier on active duty.
A Warwick, R.I., native with Vancouver roots, Garder serves as the senior force development warrant officer technician at the Office of the Chief of Army Reserve. Garder’s other awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters, and several others.
“I try to stay open to the potential of any experience,” Garder said. “Not just my job or my tasks, but where I can add to the day, where I can teach, learn, help, serve or guide.”
