Meet Kimberly Weaver—Military Veteran and Indian River State College Student

Meet Kimberly Weaver—Military Veteran and Indian River State College Student

November 14, 2023 Jon Pine

Dr. Seuss’s book, Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, might just be a metaphor for Kimberly Weaver’s amazing life journey thus far. Her 21-year career in the U.S. Air Force has taken her around the world, including to Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany; Osan Air Base in South Korea; MacDill Air Base in Tampa, Florida; Ellsworth Air Base in South Dakota; Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan; Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Aviano Air Base in northern Italy; and finally Morón Air Base in southern Spain.

The journey started in July 2002 while Weaver attended Vero Beach High School, where she was dual-enrolled in courses at Indian River State College. A recruiter showed up on campus one day and convinced her to join other students on a recruitment trip to Miami. “I have an uncle who is a Marine and another uncle in the Army,” Weaver said. “They told me, ‘You’re either going Air Force or Navy,’” she recalls. “I knew it was going to be Air Force. I wanted to be a Flight Medic,” she said.

While she never achieved that goal, she did start out as an E2 Aerospace Medical Technician in Germany. Later, in Tampa, she was picked up for Independent Duty Medical Technician (IDMT) school. IDMTs pretty much do everything a Physician’s Assistant does in the civilian sector, Weaver explains—transport injured and sick airmen, provide acute care, prescribe medications, conduct blood screenings, conduct health inspections, and treat patients for exposure to corrosives or radiation, among other tasks. “Think of us as sort of like a walking hospital,” Weaver said.

Weaver retired as an E6 IDMT after 21 years in service. That wealth of experience provided an excellent foundation for the next phase of her life’s adventure: now, at age 40, and with her daughter Cadence in seventh grade, she is back at IRSC to pursue an A.A. Degree (Public Administration Track) with the eventual goal of obtaining a B.S. Degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Emergency and Disaster Management.

“In the military, we learned how to respond to mass casualties and prepare for disasters,” Weaver said. In fact, she served as a team lead for the Mass Casualty Response Team at several bases. “I happen to be really good at that part of the job,” she said. “I also have extensive training for initial response Chemical, Biological , Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives Response (CBRNE) team.” These skills dovetail nicely with a civilian career in emergency and disaster management, she said.

At IRSC, Weaver found extensive support from Gable Toombs, the College’s Military and Veterans Services Advisor, and Vance Grant, IRSC’s Military and Veterans Services Coordinator. “They’re awesome,” she said. “They helped me make a decision on my degree choices and figuring out the best path for me to take.” The pair also helped Weaver with the Veterans Administration paperwork necessary for using the G.I. Bill to pay for school. “I just bring them the paperwork, and they’re like, ‘I got it!’ and that has made things so much easier. It’s one less thing I have to worry about.”

Weaver also has been able to draw upon her military medical knowledge in the classroom, particularly while studying Anatomy and Physiology. “We didn’t get a formal Anatomy and Physiology course in the military, just two weeks’ worth,” she said. “So now, taking 16 weeks of Anatomy and Physiology, I’m like, ‘Oh, okay,’ and I’m applying what I was doing in the military to the full, big picture.”

IRSC Military and Veterans Services (MVS) Student Spotlight
Indian River State College is proud to welcome and serve veterans and active-duty service members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their dependents into our educational programs. Each Fall and Spring semester, IRSC Military and Veterans Services (MVS) will highlight an outstanding MVS student through the MVS Student Spotlight. Our dedicated staff are in place to serve and ensure that our heroes have elite-level support. The College offers military-friendly classes, convenient course scheduling, and support services to allow these exceptional men and women to reach their educational goals. For more information about the spotlight or Military and Veterans Services, contact veterans-info@irsc.edu or call (772) 462-7711.