Chad Ashe
FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (March 22, 2021) — Capt. Victoria Aladeokin, a public health nurse at General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital, demonstrates her dedication to the well-being and health of her fellow service members on Fort Leonard Wood as a subject matter expert in contact tracing — her journey here was a long one.
She first came to the U.S. seeking opportunities when she moved from Lagos, Nigeria in 2009. Now she looks for ways to give back and education is the best path to paying it forward.
Aladeokin said her character was initially shaped by her father. To him, education was an international currency. She had family in Alabama and sought an opportunity to attend college there.
“When it comes to my father, sacrifices were made,” she said. “Growing up — no matter what — if he had to sell his shoes for you to go to school, that’s what would happen. He said, ‘I cannot leave you riches; I cannot leave you mansions; I cannot leave you cars; but I can give you education. That’s your inheritance from me.’”
As a student at the University of North Alabama, she initially studied mathematics before changing her major to nursing. She graduated with her associate degree, and as an international student, Aladeokin would’ve had to return to Nigeria unless she stayed in school.
Her search for more opportunities led her to a program under special provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act that allowed her to enlist in the military with her language fluency in Yoruba — one of three native languages in Nigeria. She met the criteria and enlisted as a Combat Medic Specialist in 2013.
“This was a blessing because there was no other path for an international student to go from non-immigrant status straight to citizenship,” she said.
Aladeokin completed her requirements and was officially made a U.S. citizen.
“You have to know your ‘why’ when you do things,” she said.
The ‘why’ she said, was to give back to a country that gave her everything.
“I compare my love for this country for when you adopt a child,” she said. “It’s no different than your biological child, the love between them. I love where I was born, but I do love the United States more because this is my country. This is where I belong. This is where I fit in. This (country) has given me everything and has made me who I am.”
After joining the Army, it would be five years before she would live in the U.S. again — her new journey as a Soldier would first take her to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.
Other opportunities were on the horizon for her as an enlisted service member as well. Under the two-year Army Medical Department Enlisted Commissioning Program, she was able to complete her Bachelor of Science in nursing at Florida Atlantic University and was commissioned. She then attended a course in public health nursing while the COVID-19 pandemic was accelerating.
“You don’t hear about public health nurses or public health field normally because they are doing what they need to be doing,” she said. “But with COVID, now everyone knows who public health is but we have always been doing our job in the background.”
Her work is now focused on helping train units.
“The trainees are living in a congregated setting,” she said. “That poses a challenge — it’s the education, the mitigation strategies and identifying risks in that setting for success.”
She said her husband, Oluwabunmi “Bunmi” Aladeokin, an operations support assistant at the 14th Military Police Brigade, is very supportive of her career.
“As her spouse and No. 1 fan, I am lucky to experience directly her love for the profession,” he said. “She is enthusiastic and excited when faced with a challenge, knowing it is an opportunity to learn.”
Bunmi said another motivation for his wife is the desire to help others.
“She always put others first, even in the family,” he added. “Behind all the efforts, service to the country and selfless sacrifice, is a burning desire to give all it takes to make the world a better place starting from her small little corner.”
Aladeokin said her next goal is to attend an Army program where she would receive a doctorate in nursing.
She called it “just another opportunity.”
“It’s a country that can give you hope and if you have that hope you can be exactly who you want to be,” she said. “You can be some other place and you can have hope all day long, but it may not be a system that functions. But here, I believe if you want to be anything you want to be, this would be the country. There are so many opportunities with so much to give.”
She said she still has at least 12 more years to give to the Army.
“It’s my way of saying ‘thank you’ for what has been done for me,” she said.
Bunmi said the Army, nursing and the public health profession “is blessed to have her.”
“Her love for the United States Army, nursing and public health drives her every day to find new opportunities to make a difference,” he said.
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About Fort Leonard Wood
Fort Leonard Wood is a thriving and prosperous installation that has evolved from a small basic training post more than 75 years ago to a premier Army Center of Excellence that trains more than 80,000 military and civilians each year.
Fort Leonard Wood is home to the U.S Army Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and three U.S. Army schools: the U.S. Army Engineer School; U.S. Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear School; and the U.S. Army Military Police School. In addition to training engineer, CBRN and military police specialties for the Army, Fort Leonard Wood also provides gender-integrated in-processing and Basic Combat Training for new Soldiers.
Fort Leonard Wood also hosts and trains with the largest Marine Corps Detachment and Air Force Squadron on any Army installation as well as a large Navy construction detachment.
More information about Fort Leonard Wood is at: https://home.army.mil/wood/index.php/about/mission