Surprise Party
Story & Photo by 2nd Lt. Elena O Bryan - Posted Nov, 2001
Last month, fellow employees gave SSgt. Christine Lasley a surprise party at Mulvanny G2 Architecture in Bellevue, Wash. The occasion wasnt her birthday or an anniversary with the company. It was to honor her going on active duty.
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Lasley's co-workers gave her a care package filled with postcards, candy, disposable cameras and calling cards. Included was a large card with pictures of Lasley at various corporate events just so she'd know she always had a place at Mulvanny. "I felt nothing but support from this sincere thank you," she said. "I knew I didnt have to worry about my job." When Lasley informed her civilian employer she was being activated, Lasley said she didnt feel any pressure to return soon.
The Chief Executive Officer of her company, Jerry Q. Lee, more than understood having himself served in the U.S. Army. Mulvanny G2 Architecture will be making up the difference between her civilian and military pay for six months. Moreover, the company will provide her medical and dental benefits for the next six months without requiring premium contributions. She will even receive her holiday bonus.
Lasley has a Bachelor of Arts in architecture and is an unlicensed architect. She's worked for Mulvanny for two years and was promoted from an architectural technician to her present position.
Because Lasley is a job captain at Mulvanny, her supervisor had to redistribute responsibility for five or six million-dollar construction projects. The other project managers willingly pitched in. "They did it happily," Lasley said. "They even asked me what else they could do for me."
At the Washington Air National Guard's Western Air Defense Sector, Lasley is an airspace warning and control system operator. She transferred from the Hawaii Air National Guard about two years ago when she also went to work full-time for Mulvanny. She has been a tracker for the past six years. " I love it here at WADS," she said. "I love the camaraderie." Lasley said she is lucky because in Mulvanny and WADS, she has two big happy families.
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