Photo By Senior Airman Colin Perkins | Senior Airman Cecilia Rodriguez Ortiz, a paralegal assigned to the 354th Fighter Wing...... read more read more
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EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska —What started as an ordinary staff meeting became a moment Senior Airman Cecilia Rodriguez Ortiz will never forget.
Rodriguez Ortiz, a civil law paralegal with the 354th Fighter Wing Judge Advocate office, walked into the conference room expecting business as usual. Instead, she found her colleagues gathered around a screen displaying Maj. Gen. Christopher A. Eason, the judge advocate general of the Air Force.
Before she could grasp the situation, Eason delivered the news: Rodriguez Ortiz was named the winner of the Thomas Castleman Award for Outstanding Paralegal Airman of the Year.
The award is presented annually to a paralegal Airman who demonstrates excellence in legal research, case preparation, trial support and other critical paralegal duties that directly support the mission.
“I was genuinely in shock and didn’t even know how to feel or react,” Rodriguez Ortiz said. “It was so much to try and take in that I somehow felt everything and nothing all at once.”
Rodriguez Ortiz was unaware her leadership had even submitted her for the award. However, her supervisors had spent months taking note of her dedication and high-tempo performance.
“She is the ultimate ‘quiet professional’ and is an exceptionally talented and precise paralegal who leads through service and humility,” said Master Sgt. Morgan Haudenschild, 354th FW JA superintendent. “Her dedication, humility and hard work do not go unnoticed. Her achievement sets a standard of excellence for other Airmen to emulate and showcases the incredible caliber of support we deliver to the mission every day.”
Her journey to the legal field was not direct. After graduating high school, her initial plan was to enlist immediately, but marriage and motherhood altered her timeline.
“I spent time focusing on my family while also going to school to become a medical technician,” Rodriguez Ortiz said. “But I still had the idea of enlisting in the back of my mind. I kept telling myself, ‘I won’t know until I try.” Those thoughts prompted her to visit a local recruiter, initiating her career as an Air Force paralegal.
At her first duty station, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, Rodriguez Ortiz was immediately immersed in a high-pressure operational tempo. As the host installation for both 8th Air Force and Air Force Global Strike Command, the base demanded rapid precision.
“There were always a huge number of cases that needed to be worked on, and it forced you to pick things up fast,” Rodriguez Ortiz said. “That environment and experience helped shape me into the paralegal I am today. I wouldn’t change it because it’s what keeps me sharp.”
Rodriguez Ortiz brought that foundation to Eielson AFB, relying on close team coordination to manage the heavy caseload.
“Cases will come in hot, and you sort of have to redirect your attention,” she said. “It can be stressful, but having the experience and knowledge while also trusting in your coworkers helps make it easier.”
Her discipline and work ethic extend beyond the duty day. Balancing military service with raising three children — ages 10, 8 and 1 — requires constant energy and routine management.
“For me, I am never not doing something; I am always staying busy,” Rodriguez Ortiz said. “I work my normal shift in the office and then immediately switch roles when I get home.”
Rather than viewing family life as an added strain, she credits parenthood with sharpening her professional focus.
“Being a mom has truly helped me with this job,” Rodriguez Ortiz said. “I love doing what I do and knowing that people at work and at home rely on me helps me keep focus and match the energy I need.”
Reflecting on the award, Rodriguez Ortiz emphasized that her individual success reflects the strength of her unit.
“I couldn’t have done it by myself; it’s been a team effort throughout the way,” she said. “I can’t take all the credit because the people I have worked with and who believe in me made this possible.”
| Date Taken: | 08.31.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 08.31.2026 18:25 |
| Story ID: | 573624 |
| Location: | EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, ALASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 60 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Turning adversity into strength: Airman earns Thomas Castleman Award, by SrA Colin Perkins, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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