RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany – For Staff Sgt. Haley Jergensen, 86th Airlift Wing Judge Advocate civil law paralegal, dependability means taking responsibility when teammates need support, when the mission grows heavier and when no perfect roadmap exists for what comes next.
Jergensen said dependability has never been about having every answer. To her it is about being honest when she does not, asking for help when needed and making sure the people around her do not face challenges alone. She arrived at Ramstein Air Base in March 2025 after retraining from aircrew flight equipment into the paralegal career field. When she arrived, the Civil Law section’s master sergeant position was vacant. It placed her in a role that required her to learn the job while also helping guide the customer-service-heavy section, which supports legal assistance clients, legal reviews, private organization requests, off-duty employment reviews and other issues that affect Airmen and families.
“There were challenges at times,” Jergensen said. “I didn’t know everything, but I was honest with my team.”
As time went on and additional leadership arrived, responsibilities became more balanced across the section. The experience was eye-opening for Jergensen and laid the foundation she would rely on again at the beginning of this year, when operations increased and key leaders were pulled away in support of mission requirements.
“When operations increased, more people needed assistance,” Jergensen said. “The change happened very quickly and we had to focus on our priorities. If someone was deploying, we were going to move them up.”
Once again stepping into an elevated leadership role, Jergensen helped the section adapt quickly while keeping support to clients on track.
“I felt like I was responsible for everyone in the section at the time,” she said. “Building the team, building trust with the people in my section and keeping the morale as best as it could be at the time, that mattered.”
That same sense of responsibility carried into the way she supported teammates outside the normal rhythm of the office.
When one teammate underwent knee surgery and could not drive, Jergensen understood how quickly everyday tasks could become obstacles.
“I would want someone to help me if I couldn’t walk or if I couldn’t drive myself,” she said. “He’s a teammate.”
Jergensen stepped up to advocate for him and helped the office build a shared schedule for meals, transportation and visits, giving others a way to support him consistently throughout recovery.
“It wasn’t all just on me,” Jergensen said. “People took turns visiting him, taking him to his appointments. Watching the flight pull through and pull together like that, it really helped.”
Her support for the team did not stop there. When another coworker prepared to PCS during a high-risk pregnancy, she helped reduce the administrative burden during an already difficult transition.
“I wanted her to be able to focus on getting ready to leave and take care of herself and her family,” Jergensen said. “We needed to take that off of her plate.”
From her perspective, those actions are connected to how she views leadership: recognizing when people need help and removing obstacles where she can.
Despite the added responsibility, Jergensen said she focused on building trust, staying honest with her team and keeping morale as steady as possible.
“I felt like I was responsible for everyone in the section at the time,” Jergensen said. “Building the team, building trust with the people in my section and keeping the morale as best as it could be at the time, that mattered.” Her leadership did not go unnoticed.
“Staff Sgt. Jergensen is great at balancing taking care of the people and the needs of the mission to make sure that both are done and done well,” said Lt. Col. Sarah Laidir, 86th AW JA Civil Law chief. “She always steps up to the plate when ops tempo gets high or when higher-level leadership isn’t available, and we can trust her to keep the ship running.”
Looking back, Jergensen said the experience strengthened her belief that leadership is not measured by perfection, but the willingness to support others, remain flexible, adaptable and keep moving forward one day at a time.