Air Force Member Helps With Spanish to English Translation For Better Health Care For Community

Evensville, Tennessee

Sergeant Enya Martinez is using her skills to ensure the Operation Healthy Tennessee Events being held at Rhea County Middle School and Bledsoe County High School over a two-week period is efficiently bringing help to the local community in the area of Dental, medical and vision needs. She has been offering spanish to english translation for those not fluent in English. This process helps make the process quicker and also ensures that the patients understand forms and thus get the best care they can receive. Martinez's MOS(career field) is Public Health. She recently graduated from college and now is just beginning her career.

Operation Healthy Tennessee" is a U.S. Department of Defense initiative that provides free healthcare services to underserved communities in Tennessee, while also giving military personnel the opportunity to complete necessary training. The program offers services like vision, dental, and basic medical care at no cost to patients. This initiative is part of the Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) program, which combines military training with community support. 

Sergeant Martinez spoke with Tennessee Community Magazine and talked about her time in the military and her excitement with being a part of the thd Operation Healthy Tennessee team. Martinez was working at the Rhea County Middle School site. She was kind enough to answer a few questions. Ssgt Martinez graduated from The Ohio State University with Bachelor of Arts in Strategic Communication. She was award the Airman of the year for 180th FW in 2024.

How did you get involved in Operation Healthy Tennessee?

I really liked what we were standing for, what we were going to do, and I just jumped at the opportunity. I wanted to help others, and I knew I'd have the opportunity to help interpret, so that's something that I really wanted to do as well. Okay, so what languages are you interpreting for? Spanish.

Just like when I have the opportunity, like at my civilian job, I'll do it if I notice that people can't speak English, but something formally, no, I don't.

How have you become so fluent in Spanish?

Because my parents, I'm actually first generation here, so my parents spoke to me in Spanish, and my grandparents did, but to be honest, I don't really remember not knowing either language,

How did you end up in the military?

I've been in the Air Force for about six years now. I originally joined at the Iowa Guard base, and then I transferred to Ohio for school, just graduated, and originally that's the only reason I joined, but after like attending this, event, I definitely do want to stay in, because I want to volunteer more and more, and love having the opportunity to translate has definitely like hit a soft spot for me. I would like to continue doing that.

Have there been any special stories that you can share with our audience?

So yesterday, I actually helped a woman, and I am a talker, both English and Spanish, so I'm asking her where she's from, like what she's doing here, stuff like that. She and her husband move around a lot. I said I was from Ohio, and she said that she stayed in Ohio as well, and then she said she stayed in Lausanne, Ohio, and I was like, oh my gosh, that's where I was born. . And so yeah, and then she was explaining where she lived, and she actually lived across the street from my hometown, like my home, like my family home. So that was really cool. She was over there for work. They work with the farmers and stuff, so that was super cool to hear, because that's what my dad and my grandpa did when I was growing up. And just for reference, the town is about 8,000 people, so super tiny. So after hearing that, that was super cool.It's just such a small world, and then shortly after, we did have to pull her son's tooth. Oh, wow. Yeah, but I knew it was best for him in the long run."

"It was just nice to be there and know that, like, I had, like, that deeper connection with them, so I knew he felt better that I was there, and just being able to comfort them and stuff like that was really nice. So if somebody out there is thinking about being involved in the military, what would you tell them? I would tell them that it's very rewarding. It's super fulfilling, and I actually have no regrets."

There is something here for absolutely everybody, no matter what. Even if you think there's not, they can put you absolutely anywhere. And there's a lot of benefits that come with it. Pros and cons, obviously, but more pros than anything.

So what do you think about Tennessee?

I actually love Tennessee. This is my second time here. I came for the first time last weekend to go to Nashville. I didn't know it was this hilly at all. Going outside even here, like going to Walmart and seeing, like, the hills and stuff, super cool. It's gorgeous here. I have nothing bad to say, and all the people that I've interacted with have been so incredibly kind and thankful. It's just been a great experience."

Tell us a little bit about your time in Iowa and Texas.

I grew up in Texas for about nine years, and then the last four years of, or three years of high school, I went to Iowa. So I've been all over. That's why it's like, it's really easy for me to interact with different types of people because I've been around them all my life. So I've lived in small towns my entire life, and I love small towns.

What is the hardest adjustment coming from civilian life into the military?

Just getting used to the routine, I guess. Fixing my sleep schedule has been a work in progress. But I'm a person that likes routine.I remember my first day, I genuinely looked out the window, the one window that was in there, and I was like, what the hell did I just do? I was also 18. I enlisted when I was 17, so I still don't think I was conscious. I don't know what was happening. Well, it has to be a shock. I know, I was 18 also. Yeah, but I mean, I have no regrets. I'm really glad that I went early and young. .

How did you get interested in the public health field?

I actually went in for dental, but due to circumstance, I ended up in Public Health.I was like, oh, okay, for sure. But after I agreed, and then I was unconscious, like I said, and then I realized public health is not anywhere close to dental, but I ended up meeting a good friend in tech school, and then because of her, I moved to Columbus in Ohio, a bigger city. And then I worked for her mom now. It's been five years.