FORT BELVOIR, Virginia --After more than five decades of service to the Army, Dr. Patricia Jubeark, the Regional Health Command-Atlantic’ Secretary of the General Staff, has reached an important milestone in her life worth celebrating.
Jubeark, affectionately known as Dr. J., started her military journey in 1968, where she enlisted in the Army shortly after graduating from the Cortez W. Peters Business School. The school was one of the first vocational programs in the nation’s capital that prepared African-Americans for business and civil service careers. Dr. J was the first member of her family to pursue higher education and this academic achievement would not be her last.
Sgt. 1st Class Patricia Jubeark retired after more than 25 years of service. Following retirement, she served the Army as a civilian for more than 27 years, retiring last November.
Her first Army experience was basic training and advanced individual training with the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) at Fort McClellan, Alabama. Juberak said, “I joined the Army because of the challenges and opportunities that it offered me”. Basic training gave Jubeark a good appreciation for the opportunities the Army offered her, but it was her drill sergeant that ultimately shaped the path of her future.
Standing out from her peers at almost six feet in height, “my drill sergeant repeatedly told me throughout our eight weeks that she was going to train me to be a drill sergeant”. This initial hint at her potential to lead others was the foundation that ultimately led Dr. J to decades of service.
When asked why she made the Army a career, she responded “I stayed to develop my leadership and managerial skills for the future, to travel and to serve. It was an honor to serve my country.”
Jubeark graduated from basic training and advanced individual training as a fully qualified stenographer/clerk typist, or 71C. Her degree from Cortez W. Peters Business School may have shaped which Military Occupational Specialty she was assigned, but it was Juberark’s leadership potential that landed her at Fort Rucker, Alabama, for her first duty assignment as a drill sergeant.
It was a great duty,” she added. “It is an experience I will never forget. I’m very proud to have been a drill sergeant.” This mantra carried over for Jubeark as she continued to lead others over a 50 year career.
Following her assignment at Rucker, Jubeark’s career took her to several assignments around the U.S., Germany, Belgium and Korea. In all, she moved 13 times before her final assignment at Walter Reed where she served as the Personnel Sergeant in the Command Suite. Jubeark served for over 25 years as an active duty Soldier and has since served 27 years as a Department of the Army Civilian at various locations culminating as the Secretary of the General Staff at Regional Health Command-Atlantic.
Throughout her time on active duty and as an Army Civilian, Jubeark continued her pursuit of higher education. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Vincennes University in 1982, a Master’s Degree from University of Maryland in 1990, and a doctorate in Business and Management in 1995 all while simultaneously serving her country.
In 1968, female Soldiers were still overcoming social barriers brought on by race, gender, and ethnicity in much the same fashion as in U.S. civilian life. Therefore, Dr. J’s 52 years of selfless service, four advanced degrees, and plans to continue serving her community in retirement, make her an inspiration to us all.
“I want to volunteer-help people in need or give back to the community while building new skills,” Jubeark said. “I also wants to stay as fit as I can.”
Pallas Athene was the official insignia of the WAC since the ancient Greek goddess is associated with wisdom, handicraft, and warfare. The symbol has also been used for freedom and democracy. Dr. Patricia Jubeark was not only a trailblazer for women of color in the Army, but for all who aspire to do great things in their career. Her story should be revered and a testament to all that hard work and determination lead to success.
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