Service Defines Career for Air Defense NCO

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Heather Denby | OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- Spc. Corey Simm works to transmit a radio signal during the 2015 Missile Defender of the Year Competition at Osan Air Base, South Korea, Oct. 28, 2015. Simm was later promoted to Sgt., a position she has aspired to attain since joining the Army over 7 years ago. (Photo by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Heather Denby, 35th ADA Brigade Public Affairs)  

UNITED STATES

05.13.2016

Story by Staff Sgt. Kelly Carlton 

35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade

During a speech in Washington, D.C., March 2, the First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama encouraged female veterans to tell their stories. "All of you learned how to build a team and lead others under pressure, and complete any mission in front of you no matter what it takes," she said. "See, that's why it's important that you tell your own stories. Our girls, our daughters and granddaughters, need to hear them," Obama said. This article is part of a five-part series highlighting female veterans serving with the 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, a Patriot Missile unit tasked to defend the skies over South Korea. Their stories are unique and empowering, a testament to the strength and diversity Army women bring to the profession of arms. Editor's Note.

OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea -- An instance of adversity during high school taught Sgt. Corey Simm, a Patriot Missile Enhanced Fire Control Operator/Maintainer with Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 6th Battalion, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 35th ADA Brigade, what it meant to be part of something greater than herself, something the Army has affirmed is her natural calling.

Simm, a native of Glen Cove, New York, grew up on Long Island working early on in high school to help her mother who was undergoing breast cancer treatment. Simm even graduated at 17-years-old so she could continue to help out.

"My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent treatment when I was 16," Simm said. "I have worked full time since graduating. I worked as a paralegal assistant and then at a bank. I even worked at Starbucks and helped a friend's entertainment business as a promoter on a part-time basis."

Caring for her mother gave Simm an early sense of independence and she left home right after graduating high school but that same independence showed her another side of life.

"I look back at the kids I grew up with and most of them haven't left our hometown. I knew I didn't want to be that way and since joining the Army, I know it was the best thing I could have ever done for myself," Simm said.

Simm is on her second assignment and fifth year with 6-52 ADA in South Korea. Even though she chose to stay close to home to help her mother as a young woman, it is this faraway land where she has discovered the meaning of service.

"We control the higher echelon for the line units that control the missile launchers with engagement control stations. I love being part of the tactical significance of defending this country from North Korea. I thrive on the fast pace," Simm said. "I feel that my job here, our soldiers and our leadership here, they are all important and they make the parts of the engine keep going."

Helping to keep the Patriot Missile System running smoothly, ECS crews compete in an annual joint and combined event to determine the most skilled Air Defense crews on the peninsula. In 2015, Simm and her team earned the title of Missile Defender of the Year against many ECS crews led by male Soldiers.

"Honestly, I am a Soldier. I don't look at myself as a woman but as a Soldier, and as such, I felt accomplished winning this competition," Simm said. "It was one of the highlights of my air defense career and it proved that, regardless of who you are, hard work pays off."

The self-proclaimed go-getter hits the ground running but rarely sprints for her own gain.

"My first time here I volunteered to teach English to Republic of Korea Air Force dependent children. I did that for 11 semesters and just loved the kids," she said. "Before joining the Army, I worked with Habitat for Humanity and also supported their cause while at Fort Bragg in North Carolina where my unit collected more 1,000 pounds of canned goods for their food pantry."

The psychology major enjoys knowing she contributes to the mission even if she leans on her maternal instincts to get the job done.

"I like being part of making something operable. In the information coordination central area, we are like the mama hens overseeing the ECSs like they're out baby chicks. I love seeing successful missions and watching my battalion succeed," she said. "I am such a mama to everyone. I like that about myself. One of my Korean Augmentees to the U.S. Army Soldiers asked me to pin on his sergeant rank. That was so amazing for me to be asked to do that for him."

Simm may be from New York but South Korea has a very special spot in her heart.

"My home is 6-52 ADA. I will forever feel like this is where I belong," Simm said. "It's not just the place to me, I love my job here. I absolutely love my job."

• Date Taken: 05.13.2016
• Date Posted: 05.13.2016 05:13
• Story ID: 198014
• Location: US
• Hometown: GLEN COVE, NY, US